DEAR ABBY: When my husband, “Sid,” was a young adult, his mother died by suicide. A few years later, when his maternal grandparents died, his mother’s two siblings inherited his grandparents’ estate. Other family members have commented that it seemed wrong for Sid and his sister to be disinherited from their mother’s share of the estate. Because Sid and his sister were young adults, they didn’t have enough confidence or support to question their aunt and uncle. Their father was out of the picture.
Forty years later, this is still a source of pain for Sid and his sister. They feel they were intentionally disinherited, while their closest relatives act like nothing is wrong. Is there a way to approach the family to resolve this pain? — SAD FOR SID IN NEVADA
DEAR SAD: I strongly suspect that that ship sailed 40 years ago. However, I am not a lawyer. Your husband and his sister should ask an attorney who specializes in wills, estates and trusts this question to see what exactly happened back then and if anything can be done now to change it.
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Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
