San Jose Man Tells Ramsey Show His 2 Estranged Sisters Want A Cut Of Their Father's Massive $10M Inheritance - Leaving The Hosts At A Loss For Words

2025-10-08 04:03:55

(MENAFN- News Direct) > Recently, a caller to The Ramsey Show shared an interesting conundrum with the two hosts, George Kamel and Jade Warshaw. The caller had a true champagne problem: he'd inherited eight figures from his father, but his two sisters received nothing at all.

His sisters were now asking the caller, Michael, for money, and even the Ramsey hosts weren't 100% sure what advice to give. Here's what the problem is, why the sisters were cut off, and what the hosts' advice was for handling this request.

Must Read

Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 - and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how
I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement - what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast)
Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake - here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP

Ramsey hosts uncertain about how to handle inheritance conflict

When Michael called The Ramsey Show, he was clear about his issue. His dad had left him with a substantial inheritance, and his sisters wanted a piece of it.

"He left everything to me. His house, his investments, his business. He did not give anything to my sisters - who are estranged, and [have been] with our mother ever since my parents divorced," Michael explained. He went on to say, "My sisters have asked me to help pay their student loans because my father left them with nothing."

His sisters have around $300,000 worth of student loans between them, but Michael isn't convinced that writing them a check is the right thing to do, especially as his dad had tried to reconcile several times with no success. His dad had also declined to pay for his sisters' college when they asked before attending.

"They've only come to me, only for very unique cases. They came to both my father and I for money. My father and I refused to pay for them. That's why they had this debt," Michael explained.

He also went on to say about his dad, "He suffered very greatly from the divorce. He showered me with love and attention because I was the only one that he had. I don't want to disrespect his wishes. I think he had a purpose when he refused my sisters for college. I know my father has tried to reach out, especially when my sisters had their kids."

According to Michael's telling of the story, his mother had an affair, and his sisters sided with her, preferring her new and charismatic partner, who“bought” their love.

The Ramsey Show hosts seemed stumped on how to advise Michael, calling his issue emotional rather than financial. While Kamel was quick to say that he shouldn't pay his sisters if he didn't want to, Warshaw was more concerned about getting to the bottom of why the estrangement happened and whether the sisters had been cut off for a good reason.

Ultimately, however, both hosts ended up agreeing that there was no one right answer in this situation and that the caller should do what felt right to him. Kamel ultimately landed on the advice that Michael should only give his sisters money if he could do it with joy. And Michael seemed set on following his father's plan.

He concluded, "I want the old grudges to die. At the same time, I want to respect my father's wishes. I know that forgiveness is in the Bible. But I'm not ready to forgive them for the pain they caused my father."

Read more: This is how much US drivers saved on car insurance when they switched providers, according to a new Consumer Reports survey of 140,000 policyholders

How to handle inheritance issues

Although Michael's situation is uncommon, inheritance issues aren't: they can happen to anyone. In fact, LegalShield found that 58% of people either have experienced family conflict, or know someone who has, as a result of someone lacking a will or comprehensive estate plan.

In this case, there was a will, but a conflict still occurred because some family members were left out. Some other common examples of inheritance disputes include:

Unclear language in a will that results in families fighting over assets.
Contradictions, such as appearing to leave the same asset to two different people.
Omissions, or assets that were not dealt with in a will.
Fraud, coercion, or undue influence causing someone to make a will that differs from their desires.
Questions about whether the deceased had the mental capacity to make a will.
Conflicts over disinheritance.
Questions about whether the executor is managing the estate properly.
Alleged abuse of power-of-attorney or authority granted to someone in case of incapacity.
Inheritance theft or hijacking where someone tries to take an inheritance meant for another.

Those who want to minimize these conflicts may want to create a trust that gives them more power and control, and that they can use to more clearly define their wishes.

For example, in this particular case, Michael's father could have set up a trust and named his son the beneficiary. The dad could have imposed conditions on the distribution of trust assets, such as specifying that the money not go to the sisters.

No child is entitled to an inheritance, but spouses usually are, thanks to spousal elective share laws. However, children do have the right to challenge a will. In fact, anyone who potentially could be in line for an inheritance can challenge a will if they have grounds to do so.

Someone challenging a will must show a legal problem with it, though - beyond just not liking it. The New York City Bar Association has a good summary of when and how to contest a will , as do many other states, including Texas , Alaska and more.

While trusts can also be challenged, it's less likely, because of how much ongoing involvement the trust creator has.

The sisters in this case could possibly move forward with a will challenge, claiming their father was unduly influenced by the son.

The sisters may just have to accept that choosing mom over dad during divorce had longer-term consequences than they knew at the time. And Michael has the right to do what he wants with the inheritance, including keeping it from his sisters - but the consequences of that may be further damage to their relationship.

Still, this is a decision Michael has to make for himself. This could mean giving with joy someday if he forgives his sisters - or keeping the funds from his sisters because he thinks that's what his dad would have preferred.