The family fortune

[Strangebuddy]

Patriarch of the family calls his family together one day to let them know that, having reached his twilight years, he looks back at all the the mistakes he's made and sadly, considers his kids and family the biggest disappointment. He lists off all their vices and then let's them know they are all out of the will. Family is ticked and a fight breaks out but the old man won't hear any of it.

However, as he retires back to his room, he sees one of his relations, a black sheep of the family with a bit of a reputation. She actually applauds his talking down of everyone, especially her dad and drags him into his bedroom and tosses him down on it. He's confused and reminds her she was dressed down in his speech as well.

She just laughs and takes her top off. She claims that she doesn't care: she is as big of a slut as he said she was and the only thing she loves more than getting fucked is pissing her dad off and now that he's been cut off, the perfect cherry to his disgrace would be finding out his daughter fucked the guy who just made a fool of him.

He protests but her skilled tongue wakens his libido and they fuck like rabbits. Come next morning, she's ready to skip off to her dad and let him know but the old man tries to dissuade her. She relents but demands payment for not getting to see her dad's face. Old man relents, though when he hears her terms, he decides to just put her back in the will, provided she "visits" him weekly.

Of course, while the specifics are kept secret, the relation having some sudden spending money and her name on the will gets everyone informed of what's really going on.

Suddenly, the rest of the family is either chucking themselves directly at the old man, pulling friends into the mix, or trying to get evidence of all the taboo sex to blackmail their way into the family fortune.

 

[Hypoxia]

Easy progression: They're in a jurisdiction where fucking grandpa is not illegal, so blackmail attempts are futile -- but some try anyway. Hilarity ensues. Grandpa knows all but the black sheep are greedy scoundrels and dullards (they didn't think of it first). He easily deflects their schemes. Soon, she fucks him to death, inherits everything, and wreaks vengeance on the kin who previously ostracized her. For fun, she's preggers with grandpa's kid(s).

I'll quibble over "her name on the will gets everyone informed of what's really going on." They won't know she's in the will until it's read after his death, unless he announces the change to family just to piss them off. Has he a strategy there? Why does he stir the pot? They'll only be more bothersome. Does he play some sardonic punishment game on them?

 

[Strangebuddy]

I figured it would just be something like the family lawyer lets it slip or one of his kin saw him go to the lawyer and got the info by talking up the receptionist (I've found lawyers and their employees are surprisingly easy to get talking if you know how)

 

[L1tTleD1fferent]

Two thoughts:

1] Mention of being black sheep made me think/assume she wouldn't have been in addressed group & he would've known about her being black sheep despite rest of family being far from perfect.

2] Also thought her "perfect cherry" would be father (between her & older guy) knowing he was out of the will & his sheep daughter gets what none of the others do anymore.

 

[Strangebuddy]

Well, even black sheep get invited, provided no one has a restraining order. Went to a wedding last month and asked why there was a guy drinking moonshine out of a big gulp and getting handy with the bridesmaids. Black sheep of the bride's family is what I was told.

Fair point about the cherry on top.

Also, hypoxia I actually kind of like the idea of both the law protecting it as well as the grandpa knowing it and allowing everything to continue. An alternate could be that the guy is too big and well loved by everyone outside of the family for police to take any claims seriously or investigate.

 

[L1tTleD1fferent]

Well, even black sheep get invited, provided no one has a restraining order. Went to a wedding last month and asked why there was a guy drinking moonshine out of a big gulp and getting handy with the bridesmaids. Black sheep of the bride's family is what I was told.

Fair point about the cherry on top.

Glad to see you considered & agreed with my point about the cherry.

As for the other part, I have no problem with anyone being invited (I myself consider many social connections closer than genetic family)... Unless of course one or more actions that made them black sheep got them banished or (less-extreme) ex-communicated from family. (See that all the time ion families with divorces, etc.). Perhaps majority of family either doesn't think about them or chooses to forget about them, with older member even doing so until end of their days is approaching. BS arrives to event but (as I did) didn't see themselves as close enough to be called into room for exclusion speech.

 

[Hussar73]

He lists off all their vices and then let's them know they are all out of the will. .

this won't work. the patriarch would use a no-contest clause. cutting everyone out ensures that that everyone will try to break the will (because they have nothing to lose), and given the facts in the story, they'd probably all win.

 

[Hypoxia]

He lists off all their vices and then let's them know they are all out of the will.

this won't work. the patriarch would use a no-contest clause. cutting everyone out ensures that that everyone will try to break the will (because they have nothing to lose), and given the facts in the story, they'd probably all win.

He TELLS them verbally but doesn't include such narrative in that will, which is indeed crafted to be unbreakable. Again, does or doesn't he let it be known that a later update reinstates Black Sheep as a major (or sole) beneficiary? If he tells, the family will go into immediate frenzy. If not, then the frenzy is delayed till the will is read.

Mea culpa: My partner once took a contract law class but I've had zero training. CAN an unbreakable will be devised, one that painfully discourages all challenges?

 

[Hussar73]

He TELLS them verbally but doesn't include such narrative in that will, which is indeed crafted to be unbreakable. Again, does or doesn't he let it be known that a later update reinstates Black Sheep as a major (or sole) beneficiary? If he tells, the family will go into immediate frenzy. If not, then the frenzy is delayed till the will is read.

Mea culpa: My partner once took a contract law class but I've had zero training. CAN an unbreakable will be devised, one that painfully discourages all challenges?

there's a difference between unbreakable and distribution. he's either unsound or not. if he's sane, his wishes are law. if unsound, the will is broken, the question then is who gets what.

this is how it commonly but not always works:

the simplified lineup:

Patriarch - Wife (d) (deceased)
Son (S) Daughter (D) D D S
Grandson (GS) GD GD GS GS GS GD-Slut
others (cousins, nephews, his own brothers and sisters, family cat, charities)

if there's no will (intestate):
Patriarch - wife(d)
S D D D S <-- these take (assuming they're all living)
GS GD GD GS GS GS GD-Slut, others <-- these take nothing (but maybe a grandchild steps into a deceased parent's place)

if there is a will (testate), any, or none of these can take:
S D D D S
GS GD GD GS GS GS GD-Slut
others

in the OP's story
S D D D S
GS GD GD GS GS GS GD-Slut <-- takes all under the will

in this situation, there's no disincentive for any Son or Daughter to challenge the will because Patriarch is of unsound mind, and they'll probably win, the will be be set aside, and these kids will take by intestate succession.

what the Patriarch should have done is make the will:
S D D D S each get X dollars
GD-Slut gets everything else
no-contest clause: if Sons or Daughters contest the will in probate, the challenger gets $0.
X = Patriarch's best guess that the amount bequeathed is a small amount but just big enough to satisfy and not risk losing by the no-contest clause.

if X = $5.00, then the no-contest clause is meaningless, and everyone will challenge.