Attorney S. Robert Fish, recently provided comments for Newsweek on a viral Reddit post in which a man was backed by Reddit users for declining to give his inheritance to his sister’s children.
Attorney Fish joined Reddit users in supporting the man, remarking that while unequal testamentary distributions may suit some situations, many parents choose to avoid them.
“Over the years, I have found that most, but certainly not all, of my clients are unwilling to make unequal testamentary distributions to their children. When I am asked my opinion on the matter, I will say things such as ‘fair does not always mean equal.’ However, I believe that most people are still uncomfortable with the thought of providing for one child or children more than others whether it is because one child has children and the other does not or one child became an investment banker and the other a teacher, etc.”
Attorney Fish added: “there can be some resentment toward the childless child” when a loved one leaves inheritance.
However, he emphasized that “The child without children should feel no guilt regarding how his parents decided to distribute their money, and the sister should expect nothing from him. If she is upset, that disappointment should be directed toward her deceased parents and not her brother. He did not make the decision; the parents did.”
The discussion has sparked over 4,000 comments since it was shared on September 3.
https://www.newsweek.com/reddit-man-backed-refusing-share-inheritance-1824866
