Husband Unexpectedly Loses Wife, But Instead Of Letting Him Grieve In Peace, His In-Laws Demand A Portion Of Her Life Insurance Money

"Now, my wife's family is demanding a large portion of the remaining life insurance money."

Filip

• Published in Interesting
• November 9, 2023

Losing a loving person is the worst feeling someone can experience. And what's worse is that terrible feeling always follows an individual for the rest of life.

The emptiness in a heart after losing a loved one can never be filled; it always remains. However, the greatest consolation is to do everything to honor the last wishes of a beloved one.

Recently, a Reddit user experienced these terrible feelings when his wife unexpectedly died. To make matters worse, her family added to his stress and worries.

The OP explained his wife left him with $200,000 in life insurance, of which he spent $20,000 on funeral costs. Facing a difficult emotional period, the OP was confronted with a financial demand from his in-laws.

His wife's parents, having lost their uninsured home in a hurricane, wanted a significant part of the insurance money to rebuild it, while his brother-in-law requested funds for his college tuition. Feeling the pressure, the OP was conflicted.

On the one hand, the OP sympathized with his in-laws' misfortunes, yet, on the other, he felt that his primary responsibility was to his own future financial security, as per his wife's likely intentions. She left the money to him, so he believes it is his decision on how to use it.

When he told them he couldn't give them money, his wife's family labeled him selfish, suggesting that he was betraying his late wife's supposed wishes for her family's welfare. But, despite this, the OP believes he is not obligated to solve his in-laws' financial problems with his wife's life insurance.

The OP was not only dealing with immense grief but also the additional burden of financial demands from his in-laws. He considered using the money for his own debts and maybe buying the dream home he and his wife have always wanted.

But the OP wonders whether he was in the wrong for refusing to give his in-laws the requested money.

The OP asks:

The OP explained his wife left him a significant amount of money from her life insurance:

But, his wife's parents demanded a large portion of the remaining money:

Her brother also:

The OP refused their request, and they accused him of being selfish:

The OP explained his feelings:

He explained how he plans to spend it, but is unsure if he was wrong for not giving his in-laws a portion:

"Death and money can bring out the worst in people."

The OP's in-laws are selfish

"Shame on them trying to guilt you"

She would have left them the money if she wanted to

"NTA by any stretch of the imagination"

"I hate that people think “they would’ve wanted me to have it"."

A Redditor advised the OP to ignore them

Redditors told the OP that he was not in the wrong for refusing to give the money to his in-laws. If his wife wanted them to get her money, she would have put it in a will or agreement.

She left the money to the OP, so it's her last wish that everyone should respect.

Filip