E234 Should Closest Get the Mostest?

<p>As a Solo Ager, choosing who inherits from you is something you should think about. Should it be the person who was there the most at the end? Or someone who had more of a life-long relationship with the decedent?</p> <h2>Which relative should inherit?</h2> <p><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-10879" src= "https://anthonyspark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Which-relative-should-inherit-300x169.jpg" alt="Which relative should inherit?" width="300" height= "169" /></p> <p>You can be a Solo Ager and still have siblings, nieces, and nephews, etc. Should the person who inherits your estate be that lifelong “favorite” niece or nephew that you went to ball games with or sewed with?</p> <p>Alternatively, there may have been a distant relative who was there for you at the end when things got tough. Perhaps it was someone who helped you with personal medical and hygiene needs. That kind of care creates an instant close relationship.</p> <p>We deal with estates after someone has passed on, and we hear both sides of the story. There may be the niece who says she was close with her aunt for 40 years and then all of a sudden everything goes to Cousin Johnny. The other point of view is that Cousin Johnny, who never had a close relationship with the aunt, was the one who stepped up to care for her in the end. There is no right answer, but this is an example of both points of view.</p> <h2>Can a caregiver inherit?</h2> <p><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-10880" src= "https://anthonyspark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Can-a-caregiver-inherit-300x169.jpg" alt="Can a caregiver inherit?" width="300" height="169" /></p> <p>In a similar scenario, rather than talking about Cousin Johnny, a hired home-aide or nurse was caring for the decedent in the end. Often, the “hired help” do get something from the decedent’s estate. We’ve seen butlers, live-in maids, and live-in cooks either inherit or not inherit. The family often underestimates how close the decedent was with their cook or maid. On the other hand, some