Question

An elderly woman regularly corresponded with her only niece (her sister’s daughter), who lived out of town. One day she sent her niece a letter telling her that she planned to leave everything she owned to the niece upon her death. When the woman died, her will left her entire estate valued at $200,000 to her nephew (her niece’s only brother). The nephew wrote his sister a letter telling her that he felt bad about being the only person named in their aunt’s will, and added, “I’m going to share her estate with you. We can discuss the details at the funeral.” The niece spent $800 on a round-trip ticket to attend her aunt’s funeral. After the funeral, she spoke with her brother, who told her that he had changed his mind about sharing their aunt’s estate with her. He went on to say that he would be willing to share the estate with her if she were willing to share their mother’s estate with him when their mother passed on. The niece responded by telling him that their mother had already signed over all the property to her. He replied that, given her attitude, he would keep their aunt’s estate for himself. Later, after the two had returned to their respective homes, no longer on speaking terms, the niece sued the nephew for a 50% share of their aunt’s estate. What amount, if any, should the niece realize from her suit?

Answer 1

Answer: Nothing, because the aunt's will left everything to the nephew, and the nephew's letter is an insufficient basis to compel him to share.

Step-by-step explanation:

In any case, the nephew has a legal document, that is to say, his aunt's will.