On 1/8/2016 3:24 PM, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> On Friday, January 8, 2016 at 1:13:32 PM UTC-5, Nancy Young wrote:

>> This flipped out my sil, so I explained why I wasn't worried, and
>> she said What if you both die in a crash? I said You and my brothers
>> get to fight it out. I know, not a nice way to leave things.
>>
>> I just finished going through the process of getting my mother's
>> estate into a trust. It was a lot of work but eventually it will be
>> time well spent. No hassle settlement later.

> I imagine whichever of us survives the other will make a will.

That's how I feel about it.

> In Michigan, if you die intestate, your stuff goes automatically to
> family members (there's a hierarchy), and our stuff is considered
> to be owned 50/50 by each of us. So if we died simultaneously
> without a will, my half would go to my mother, and his half would
> be allocated among his father and/or brothers. It'd be unpleasant
> for whoever ended up cleaning up the estate.

I put a list in my fire safe where I keep my documents listing
where our assets can be found. If it's organized it should be
easier on whoever has to do it.

> What struck me as odd, upthread, was the Scottish law that says
> you can't cut your children out of your estate. My mother,
> for example, could will all of her stuff to Donald Trump and
> the law wouldn't care. (Not that she would, of course.)

Yeah, I can only guess at the reasoning behind such a law but I'd
rather decide who gets everything or nothing, depending on my
personal circumstances.

> Actually, it might be nice to call Trump's "people" and say, "Come
> and get it. Sell her crummy little house and junk all of her
> clothes. At least I won't have to deal with it."

That would be good for a laugh. I think you can decline an
inheritance but it's funny to picture that.

nancy