Money Talks – Sometimes It Can Communicate Disappointment

Recently, columnist Michelle Singletary wrote an articleabout a reader’s anecdote regarding his feelings concerning changes his parentsmade to their will. Her discussion highlights the reader questioning thechanges in the will after informing his parents of his homosexuality.

Althoughthe facts are unclear if the change was a direct result of this information,Singletary analyzes the situation. Her analysis indicates while it was not outof line for the reader to question the change he should accept the reasoning.One of the reasons the son should accept the change is because the parent’shave the privilege to decide their asset distribution. As a result, the sonbelieves his parents drafted their wills specifically to communicate theirdissatisfaction with the son or his choice of partner. A situation such as theone presented is very common. These wills often leave heirs nothing or muchless than what the heirs believes they deserve. Another common occurrencedisgruntled heirs face is a will that leaves an unequal share of money favoringone child over another because the asset owner felt neglected in his old age.Singletary stated the bottom line is, “The ugly truth is money can’t buylove. But it can be used to try to hurt the people you say you love.”

See Michelle Singletary, Dividing Up Money Can Cause Divisions in Families, The Washington Post, Mar. 29, 2013.

Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.