{"id":192548,"date":"2025-12-19T23:36:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T23:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/192548\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T23:36:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T23:36:10","slug":"dad-died-without-a-will-is-his-long-term-girlfriend-owed-a-piece-of-the-estate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/192548\/","title":{"rendered":"Dad died without a will. Is his long-term girlfriend owed a piece of the estate?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After Kevin\u2019s dad died unexpectedly without a will<\/a>, he\u2019s left wondering if he\u2019s obligated to give a share of the estate to dad\u2019s long-time girlfriend.<\/p>\n

As the Philadelphia man explained on The Ramsey Show<\/a> in a clip posted Nov. 20, the girlfriend\u2019s daughter \u2014 who wasn\u2019t fathered by Kevin\u2019s dad \u2014 has been \u201cpressuring family members\u201d on his side to \u201ccome together and financially split the money\u201d from his dad\u2019s estate. (1)<\/p>\n

Since there\u2019s no will, Kevin says the state decided to distribute his dad\u2019s assets between him, his brother and his half-sister. Even though Kevin\u2019s father and girlfriend were living together and had a 20-plus-year relationship, they weren\u2019t married, which typically means she isn\u2019t entitled to anything.<\/p>\n

Co-host George Kamel pressed Kevin by asking what\u2019s the rationale behind the girlfriend\u2019s daughter demanding estate money from his family. Kevin said that she claimed \u201cher mom put all of this time and money into the house,\u201d which she argued entitles her to a share of the estate.<\/p>\n

Kevin added that he and his siblings intend to sell their dad\u2019s house in order to pay off his remaining debts. However, Kevin has also set up his late father\u2019s girlfriend with a place to live, so she wouldn\u2019t be homeless.<\/p>\n

After hearing the details, co-host Jade Warshaw said, \u201cI don\u2019t think you guys are on the hook to do anything here,\u201d pointing out that this is the kind of messy situation that happens without an estate plan.<\/p>\n

She also added: \u201cIf you want a commitment to getting money out of a will, then you have to start with a commitment to marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n

When someone passes away without a will, \u201cintestate succession\u201d comes into play. These are the rules around distribution of a deceased person\u2019s assets according to state law.<\/p>\n

There may be nuances in certain states, but generally the estate first goes to a spouse and children. If the deceased doesn\u2019t have a spouse or kids, it moves on to parents, siblings and then extended relatives.<\/p>\n

Read More: Vanguard reveals what could be coming for U.S. stocks, and it\u2019s raising alarm bells for retirees. Here\u2019s why and how to protect yourself<\/a><\/p>\n

This may be why Kevin isn\u2019t obligated to give his father\u2019s girlfriend any money, even though they were in a long-term relationship and living in the same house before he passed. Pennsylvania stopped recognizing common law unions starting in 2005. Although Kevin said his dad\u2019s relationship had lasted 20-plus years, the exact circumstances of this situation are unclear.<\/p>\n

Some states may grant rights to common law partners, but in many cases, if someone isn\u2019t directly related, they don\u2019t have a claim to part of someone\u2019s estate.<\/p>\n

Legally, the girlfriend may not have a claim in this case. But what about morally? That’s why it’s a good idea for a person to spell out their wishes beforehand.<\/p>\n

Had Kevin\u2019s dad created a will, everyone would know his wishes, and there\u2019d be no need for confusion or emotional drama.<\/p>\n

Since it\u2019s impossible to roll back the clock, the best protection people can give their loved ones is to write up a will ASAP.<\/p>\n

Although this may be common sense, many Americans still put it off till before it\u2019s too late. According to Trust & Will\u2019s 2025 Estate Planning Report, 55% of Americans have no estate plan at all. (2)<\/p>\n

Thinking about the end of one\u2019s life is never fun, but it\u2019s the responsible thing to do. Taking the time to write a will gives family and friends a clear roadmap of your wishes, so there are no doubts or debates.<\/p>\n

It also helps to have open conversations with family about your wishes. Prevent any surprises or misunderstandings down the line by letting them know what they are and who you\u2019ve chosen to handle things.<\/p>\n

A will also isn\u2019t the only estate planning option \u2014 trusts are another way to ensure your assets are distributed as you wish.<\/p>\n

Whatever you feel fits your situation, establishing an estate plan<\/a> is the best way to honor your legacy and take care of those closest to you. A little planning now can help prevent headaches later on.<\/p>\n

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Ramsey Show Highlights (1<\/a>); Trust & Will (2<\/a>)<\/p>\n

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After Kevin\u2019s dad died unexpectedly without a will, he\u2019s left wondering if he\u2019s obligated to give a share…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":192549,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[138,3205,42736,246,28024,3207,111,139,69,244,245,16504],"class_list":{"0":"post-192548","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personal-finance","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-dave-ramsey","10":"tag-estate-plan","11":"tag-finance","12":"tag-girlfriend","13":"tag-jeff-bezos","14":"tag-new-zealand","15":"tag-newzealand","16":"tag-nz","17":"tag-personal-finance","18":"tag-personalfinance","19":"tag-the-girlfriend"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=192548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192548\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/192549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}