step children who miss out legally

[mouseworks1]

If you are a child with a step parent , read on ...this is a fact,sad but true...My mother had a child but did not marry the father. They did not stay together . 8 years later Mum met and married Ivan. They did not have any children together , Ivan did not legally adopt me.

My Mum died first , in 1999 , without a will . Their house was in joint names and paid for ( by my Mum ) . Ivan and I went to see a lawyer to see if I was entitled to anything . Automatically The property and any joint bank accounts passed over to Ivan , totally . The only thing in Mum's name was her own bank account. Ivan got the first 10K , the rest was split 50/50 with me . That was it.

Ivan stayed in their property until he died 4 weeks ago , also without leaving a will . He has relatives who he has not had anything to do with for the last 45 years or more . BUT , they are the ones who inherit everything now as his next of kin . I am entiltled to absolutely nothing , simply because he never legally adopted me or bothered to do will . His rellies stand to inherit close to a million dollars and they don't even know him and there's nothing legally I can do about it .

To protect step children who are not adopted by the step parent , please leave a will or put any jointly owned real estate into "TENANTS in COMMON" and not JOINT TENANTS . this will protect step children who find themselves in this similar situation.

STEP CHILDREN DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY INHERIT ....if they are not adopted by the step parent they have no rights legally unless a will is left or property is listed as Tenants in Common.

I wouldn't mind Ivan's family relatives inheriting his stuff , but they've had nothing to do with each other for 45 years. Mum and Ivan were of the opinion they didnt need to do wills and stuff as they thought it would naturally pass on down the line , me , then my 2 children . Now my children miss out too .

[weeowen]

Go to the press.