Common considerations for passing inheritance to children, especially adult children, are how the child’s behavior and lifestyle will reflect on the family, the child’s responsibility level and expected use of the inheritance, and the relationship between the parent and the child. For the aristocracy in England, these considerations are just as strong and the public nature of family life can add weight. Jamie Blandford recently became the 12th Duke of Marlborough and inherited a large home in addition to his new title from his father. This inheritance was not certain for many years, as Blandford’s history with drugs and time spent in jail jeopardized his relationship with his father and his likelihood of receiving an inheritance. One way that the family feud was resolved, was by the estate being placed in a trust and removing control from Blanford and placing it with trustees.
See Harry Mount, Warring Families That Always Come Out on Top, The Telegraph, Oct. 18, 2014.
Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
