Dear Quentin, My brother recently passed away, 10 months after our father died. To my bewilderment, our dad left 75% of his estate to my brother and 25% to me. Since my dad’s passing I’ve turned my life completely around, and I’m now clean and sober. My dad was my best friend. I spent every day with him. We had a wonderful relationship, and he did help me financially over the years.
Because I turned my life around, my brother and I made plans for the future. I sold my home in California and, after six months when I completed my recovery program, my 8-year-old daughter and I had planned to move to Arizona to be with my brother. The plan was to use 25% for a down payment on a home for myself and my daughter.
“‘The plan was to take my 25% and to put a down payment on a home for myself and my daughter.’”
My brother had two children and my nephew will be handling all of his finances, which is a lot, as he did very well for himself. My brother was still holding all the inheritance from our father, including my 25% as well as some stocks and bonds that were to be split. My niece and nephew would never need my father’s 75%. My brother left them so much more. Would it be out of the realm to ask or to even hope that my nephew would decide to give me the entire inheritance from my dad’s estate — in other words, not just my 25% but my brother’s portion of his estate as well? My brother never touched his share of the money. I would ask for 100%. What do you think? Is that asking too much? Or way out of line? Bereaved Sister and DaughterDear Bereaved, Congratulations on turning your life around, and getting clean and sober. Reading between t …