Family Will question

[tedeboy]

Wisconsin

What is the legal definition of "all my children" as a beneficiary?
Not just the Will but all beneficiary financial papers also.

If a man has two children but much later in life gets married to a woman with six children (all of whom are adults at the time of the marriage and were not raised by this man) and the man has as his beneficiary "all my children" is it possible that the woman's children he is now married to can claim to be his beneficiary?

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BTW: Is this the correct forum for beneficiary issues?

[nextwife]

Legally, as they are not adopted, they are merely his step children. A stepparent is a legal stranger. I would think that he would need to specifically INCLUDE "stepchildren" before they'd have a claim under the catch-all "all my children".

[Ohiogal]

Originally Posted by tedeboy

Wisconsin

What is the legal definition of "all my children" as a beneficiary?
Not just the Will but all beneficiary financial papers also.

If a man has two children but much later in life gets married to a woman with six children (all of whom are adults at the time of the marriage and were not raised by this man) and the man has as his beneficiary "all my children" is it possible that the woman's children he is now married to can claim to be his beneficiary?

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BTW: Is this the correct forum for beneficiary issues?

There is a wills area that is more appropriate. However nextwife is right. Stepchildren are legal strangers and NOT considered the children.