Man Wants Mother-in-Law to Move Out After Learning She’s Leaving Entire Inheritance to Son

A man turned to Reddit for guidance after discovering that his mother-in-law planned to leave all of her money to her son — and nothing to her daughter or son-in-law — despite their efforts to support her after a major family loss.

The 32-year-old explained that what began as a compassionate gesture had escalated into a dispute that now threatened his marriage.

His father-in-law had recently passed away, leaving a significant life insurance payout solely to his wife and son. His own wife, 30, received nothing. Initially, the couple accepted the arrangement since her younger brother, 27, still lived at home and was viewed as less independent.

Following the death, both his mother-in-law — who doesn’t speak English or drive — and his brother-in-law moved into their home because they were unable to continue living in the house where the loss occurred. The husband stepped in as caretaker and organizer, taking over responsibilities such as bill management, funeral planning, and policy changes.

He said he was happy to help, explaining that without him, the family would likely struggle. Neither his mother-in-law nor brother-in-law had savings or retirement plans, so he suggested setting up a shared account to ensure the funds were managed responsibly and the household bills remained covered.

Instead, he was blindsided by his mother-in-law’s response. She said she didn’t want her daughter’s name on the account and intended to give her portion of the payout entirely to her son. Her reasoning: because the couple already owned a home, the money should support her son instead.

The husband said the decision felt unfair and reckless. He described his brother-in-law as kind but unprepared for adulthood — someone who lacked basic skills and responsibility. He didn’t have a driver’s license yet still drove to work, had never assisted with family duties, and seemed unaware of how to manage his own finances.

Meanwhile, his wife had long been the dependable one in the family. She supported her mother through breast cancer treatment, using all of her sick and vacation days to make every medical appointment.

Feeling taken for granted, the husband finally told his wife that if they were expected to provide ongoing support yet receive nothing in return, her mother and brother should move back to their own house and use the insurance funds to cover their expenses. His wife became angry and accused him of caring only about money.

He clarified that his concern was deeper — a matter of respect for the help they had already given, and would continue to give. He also noted that his in-laws were not being left without options, as renting out their home would still provide them with steady income. The couple hadn’t known about the life insurance policy when they initially took them in; he only uncovered it after thoroughly reviewing his father-in-law’s paperwork.

The husband added that his role included acting as translator and mediator because communication between his wife’s family members was limited by language differences. And when others questioned why his brother-in-law hadn’t simply obtained a driver’s license, he explained that learning difficulties had long been a barrier, with their late father managing nearly every aspect of his adult life.

He ended the post by asking the community for perspective: Was he wrong to expect fairness after taking on so much responsibility — or was he justified in feeling disrespected?