Ask Amy: A father ponders parental possibilities
One of our nephews has always lived in a different town.
As a result, we only see him and speak by telephone on an infrequent basis.
My question involves how we should divide up our estate.
I want to divide it into equal amounts, leaving one-third to each nephew.
My husband thinks we should give more to the two nephews we have a closer relationship with.
But if we do that, then how much is enough for the third one without hurting his feelings? Do you have any suggestions?
– In a Quandary
Dear Quandary: In this situation, I vote for equal financial shares to all brothers.
If you had one particularly close nephew of the three, you might single that one out for an extra award, but in the scenario you describe, you would not be favoring one of the three, but excluding one of the three. I believe there’s a difference.
If you gave equal amounts to all three men, you could still pass along special and specific heirlooms or mementos to the nephews you know better.
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