Rob's story: Blended Families and Basic Wills.

Another chance at happiness (Stock photo)

Rob had been widowed a number of years before I met him. He and his late wife had three children together.

A few years after losing his first wife, Rob found happiness again and married Barbara. She was divorced and had one son of her own. Together, they formed a loving, blended family with four adult children in total.

As this was a second marriage for both of them, I recommended they consider writing Life Interest Wills. Although we'd spoken about this type of Will at length, Rob and Barbara told me that after due consideration, they decided to write standard mirror Wills which left everything to each other if one of them passed away. In the absence of them both, they wanted their combined estates to be shared equally among the 4 children - Rob's 3 and Barbara's 1. They trusted each other to do the 'right thing'.

Although none of us knew it at the time, Rob was actually very ill and sadly died within a year of our my visit. Everything Rob owned passed to Barbara as per his signed Will.

A few months after Rob died, Barbara called me to say she wanted to write another Will. She wanted to take out Rob's children, leaving everything to her only son. This meant that everything Rob and his previous wife had built together was going to completely bypass his own children. In addition, everything that Rob had previously inherited from his own parents also became Barbara's.

When she told me what she wanted to change in her Will, I felt sad for Rob's children but as a consultant, it was not my place to comment on her choices. I asked if she was sure. She said yes. In my head, I was almost screaming 'but that's not what Rob wanted! I was there, I heard him!'

To this day, I don't know if Rob's children are aware that they have been completely disinherited as Barbara is under no obligation to reveal the contents of her newer Will.

I'd like to say this situation is rare but it really isn't, especially for blended families.

Every day thousands of people are 'accidentally' disinherited because their parent chose to write a basic mirror Will with a new partner or spouse. It happens too often and the heartbreak it causes is far reaching.

Although Life Interest Wills would not have solved the whole problem, at least Rob's children would have inherited his share of the house had he written this type.

As it stands, Rob's children inherit nothing.

Nothing from their Dad, their Mum or even their Grandparents.

People who are disinherited in this way usually find it hard to get over the injustice of it.

Rest in Peace Rob.