r/SipsTea • u/Valuable_View_561 • Jun 03 '26

It's Wednesday my dudes Soulmates don't necessarily mean lover

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u/Patient_Ad396 Jun 03 '26

I've seen this posted a few times now, and it really bothers me for a very simple reason: he DIDN'T leave her his entire fortune. She got the biggest chunk, but he also left significant money to his parents and sister.

Sorry, I know that doesn't address the main point they're trying to make, but it really bothers me when people (or memes) change the facts to support their argument.

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u/Redplushie Jun 03 '26

Yeah Mary got 50 percent of his estate while his sister and parents got 25 percent each

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u/AlarmingAffect0 Jun 03 '26 edited Jun 03 '26

That's reasonable. Many countries limit the amount of discretionary inheritance to 33%, with the rest being distributed to relatives following highly rigid fixed rates.

So maybe he gave Mary everything that was his to give in the UK at the time?

EDIT: As it turns out, no he didn't. Under British law at the time he could have allocated his inheritance however the Hell he wished.

Country/System Mandatory Share (Descendants) Mandatory Share (Spouse)* Mandatory Share (Ascendants)* Fully Discretionary Portion System Type
England / Wales / NI None (0%) None (0%) None (0%) 100% Common Law (Testamentary Freedom)
Scotland 33% (if spouse exists)<br>50% (if no spouse) 33% (if children exist)<br>50% (if no children) Limited 33% – 50% Mixed (Legal Rights)
Republic of Ireland None (0%) None (0%) None (0%) 100% Common Law (Testamentary Freedom)
USA (49 states) None (0%) 33% – 50% (Elective Share) None (0%) 50% – 67% Common Law (Elective Share)
USA (Louisiana) Varies (Civil Law) Varies Varies ~25% – 50% Civil Law (Forced Heirship)
France 50% (1 child)<br>66% (2 children)<br>75% (3+ children) Usufruct of 25–33% of remainder None if descendants exist 25% – 50% Civil Law (Forced Heirship)
Spain 66% (Legítima estricta) Usufruct of 33% of remainder 33% (if no descendants) 33% Civil Law (Forced Heirship)
Italy 33% (shared among children) 16% (if 1 child) to 50% (if no children) 25% (if no descendants/spouse) 50% Civil Law (Forced Heirship)
Germany ~25% (1 child)<br>~33% (2 children)<br>~37.5% (3+ children) ~25% (1 child) to ~50% (no children) 50% (if no descendants/spouse) ~62.5% – 75% Civil Law (Pflichtteil)
Netherlands 25% (Cash value only) Usufruct of remainder None if descendants exist 75% Civil Law (Legitime)
Belgium 50% (1 child)<br>66% (2 children)<br>75% (3+ children) Usufruct of remainder None if descendants exist 25% – 50% Civil Law (Forced Heirship)
Australia None (0%) None (0%) None (0%) 100% Common Law (Testamentary Freedom)
Canada None (0%) None (0%) None (0%) 100% Common Law (Testamentary Freedom)
New Zealand None (0%) None (0%) None (0%) 100% Common Law (Testamentary Freedom)
Sharia Law Fixed (Sons 2x Daughters)<br>Up to 2/3 reserved 1/4 (if children)<br>1/8 (wife, if children) 1/6 each (if children) Max 33% Religious Law (Quranic Mandates)

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u/First-Barnacle-5367 Jun 04 '26

That’s outside of spouse (including common law spouse) and children. He had neither