inheritance fight theme

Putative beneficiaries (usually family members) of a departed person's estate squabble over how to divide the inheritance.

Notes

Stories often feature such squabbling beginning well before the benefactor of the heirs apparent has had the decency to depart. This theme is applicable, for example, when children argue with their parents over how their future bequest is to be allotted.

10 total · 8 major · 2 minor

StoryLevelMotivation
ahp2x05 major Seymour and Muriel squabbled about the inheritance Seymour's father had left to Muriel and that Muriel must leave to Seymour.
ds96x12 major Quark and the thieves fighting over Morn's estate
movie: Howards End (1992) major The Wilcoxes burned Ruth's informal last will to leave Howard's end to Margaret
play: Major Barbara (1905) major Britomart wants Stephen to inherit Undershaft's arms enterprise but he wants to adopt a foundling
talesoftheunexpected5x14 major We learned that Norma got her father to change his will on his death bed so that she inherited everything, and Emily practically nothing.
talesoftheunexpected6x03 major Claire fought for her inheritance when a rivaling baby had the poor taste to be born.
talesoftheunexpected8x02 major Myra received a large inheritance and got into a fight with her husband over it.
tftc1989e7x01 major Lord Mycroft's three sons each schemed against the others to ensure it was he who inherited the family fortune.
ahp1x02 minor There were snide remarks made about the inheritance.
shortstory: Sub-Satellite (1928) minor The courts awarded Donald Jarvis with all his father Dr. Jarvis' fortune after it was thought that Dr. Jarvis had been murdered on the Moon. Donald's brother Jack got nothing as a result. Although in the end the decision was reversed.