From disowning a child to leaving fortunes to strangers, wills can sometimes contain the most unexpected and baffling provisions. Often written during moments of reflection, these final documents decide the fate of one’s assets and legacy. While many wills follow a straightforward path, some take shocking turns that leave families stunned and legal professionals scratching their heads. Here are some of the most bizarre and unexpected things people have included in their wills, as shared by users on various online forums like Reddit.
1. A Trust Fund for a Pet Fish
u/scarlett_pimpernel: As a qualified solicitor, I’ve come across some peculiar cases. One that stands out is a lady who wanted to create a trust fund of £100,000 for her pet goldfish. When I inquired about the specifics, she confirmed it was just an ordinary goldfish. Her stipulations were equally unusual: the fish must be fed fresh avocado daily and cared for by a local dog walker after her demise. She was absolutely serious about these conditions.
2. Secret Daughter Beneficiary
u/scarlett_pimpernel: Another striking case involved a woman who confessed she had a secret daughter and chose to leave her inheritance and photographs exclusively to this daughter, completely excluding the rest of her family. Even her husband was unaware of the daughter’s existence. This revelation led to shocking family confrontations when the will was executed.
3. Luxury SUV for a Bus Driver
u/mommy5dearest: While working at an attorney’s office, I encountered an older lady who left her house and belongings to a bus driver she had never met but admired for his kindness. Her family was outraged and contested the will, believing Bryan had exploited her generosity. However, the evidence showed that the bus driver had genuinely helped her during her final days, making the bequest a heartfelt gesture rather than an act of manipulation.
4. Springloaded Coffin Clause
u/WanderCold: In my early twenties, I was forced to draft a will for a client with some unique requests. She included a clause stating, “My funeral wishes are that I should be buried in a coffin which has been springloaded, such that opening the coffin would cause alarm to future archaeologists.” Additionally, she specified that if this was too costly, she preferred cremation with her ashes scattered in a specific location. This whimsical request left both legal experts and her family bewildered.
5. Euthanizing a Beloved Horse
u/gabberrella24: In probate work, I’ve seen a will that instructed the euthanasia and cremation of a beloved horse, with its ashes to be scattered alongside the owner’s remains. Fortunately, the horse named in the will had already passed away, sparing another animal from such a fate. This case highlighted the sometimes harsh realities of final wishes clashing with the living’s responsibilities.
6. Conditional Inheritance for Weight Loss and Dental Visits
u/PirateRobotNinjaofDe: Our law firm has handled some unusual wills. One client specified that one of her adult sons would receive his inheritance only if he visited a dentist regularly, while the other son would inherit his share upon losing 70 pounds. Another client insisted that her cats be cremated separately but together before being buried, as human and animal remains cannot be cremated together. These conditions often lead to complicated legal battles and strained family relationships.
7. Hidden Fortune to a Taxi Driver
Deleted user: My grandma, bless her heart, lived in an old, run-down trailer for years. Dirt poor, but you wouldn’t know it by how my husband acted. He was like a cat on a hot tin roof, waiting for her to pass. He had this wild notion that grandma was sitting on a hidden fortune and that he’d inherit a ticket to Easy Street when she kicked the bucket. Come the will reading day, he was practically rubbing his hands together, telling me, “Sugar, put on a smile, we’re about to be rolling in dough.” But then the lawyer revealed that the will stated the hidden fortune would go to the husband only if he fulfilled three specific conditions. Otherwise, the entire estate would go to the local animal shelter. My husband’s face turned from greedy anticipation to utter disbelief. Grandma sure knew how to teach a lesson from beyond the grave!
8. Unique Inheritance Conditions
u/ALighterShadeOfPale: At our law firm, we’ve had clients include bizarre conditions in their wills. One woman left her estate to be divided based on her sons’ achievements: one would inherit his share if he visited a dentist regularly, and the other if he lost 70 pounds. Another insisted that her cats be cremated separately but then buried together. These unusual stipulations often lead to legal challenges and family disputes.
9. Extensive Itemized Bequests
u/AnotherDrunkCanadian: I worked at a bank handling estates, and one memorable case involved a woman who wrote a 56-page will detailing the inheritance of every single item in her house. From the wooden ladle to the toilet paper holder, each item was assigned to specific individuals. This level of detail made the will not only lengthy but also highly contentious among her family members, leading to prolonged legal battles.
10. Burial on Private Property Next to a Deceased Husband
u/ALighterShadeOfPale: A woman requested to be buried next to her deceased husband on their rural property. Despite the legal issues surrounding private burials, she insisted on this arrangement, leaving her family perplexed and concerned about the implications. Her refusal to specify whether her husband was cremated or not added to the confusion, especially since her husband had passed away several years prior.
11. Immediate Zoo Visit After Burial
u/Dr_BrOneil: One of the more heartwarming yet odd bequests involved a man who instructed his family to visit the zoo immediately after his burial. While some found this gesture endearing, others questioned its significance and the intentions behind it. Additionally, many people from specific religious backgrounds often leave a substantial portion of their estates to their churches instead of their families, adding another layer of complexity to estate planning.
12. Inheritance to an Elvis Impersonator
u/whatshisfaceboy: I heard about a wealthy uncle who left his entire estate to an Elvis impersonator. This unexpected bequest baffled his family and friends, highlighting his unique sense of humor and disregard for conventional inheritance norms. It raised questions about his intentions and the genuine nature of his relationships.
13. Single Beneficiary with Hidden Agenda
u/AnotherDrunkCanadian: At a bank where I worked, we encountered a multi-million-dollar trust intended for a single beneficiary—the son of the deceased. However, it was later revealed that he was behind his parents’ death and was declared insane. Confined to a mental hospital, he only requested small sums for basic needs, like commissary items. This case highlighted the complexities and potential for misuse in estate planning.
14. Revenge Through Pet Inheritance
u/Dr_BrOneil: Parents who were irritated by their children’s attachment to family cats decided to leave all their assets to charities while bequeathing the cats to their children as a form of indirect revenge. Despite the parents’ disdain for the pets, the children’s emotional attachment made it difficult for them to comply, leading to family tensions and legal disputes.
15. Outrageous Bequest to City Council
u/ALighterShadeOfPale: A man left the contents of his outhouse to the City Council after years of battling eminent domain claims. He wanted to give them something in return for their attempts to seize his land for a new water treatment plant. His children humorously fulfilled his wishes by boxing up all the books and magazines in the outhouse and delivering them to City Hall, symbolizing his quirky sense of justice.
16. Inheritance to a Taxi Driver with Legal Complications
u/[deleted]: One of our earlier clients left almost everything to her regular taxi driver, who was unaware of his new role as the primary beneficiary until after her passing. Her close friend, who had been the beneficiary in her previous wills, contested the new will. Despite the legal challenges, the court upheld the original will, recognizing the client’s clear intent despite the unusual beneficiary choice.
17. Hidden Fortune with Specific Conditions
Deleted user: My great-grandma lived in an old, run-down trailer for years. Despite her poverty, my husband acted as if she was sitting on a hidden fortune, believing he’d inherit it after her death. On the day of the will reading, the lawyer revealed that the fortune would only go to him if he fulfilled three specific conditions: live in her old trailer for a year without modern upgrades, volunteer at the local animal shelter every weekend for two years, and write a personal essay on humility and compassion to be read at the shelter’s annual fundraiser. Failure to meet these conditions meant the entire estate would go to the animal shelter. My husband was left in disbelief, realizing his grandmother had cleverly used her will to teach him a valuable lesson about humility and compassion.
Conclusion
These stories shared by Redditors and other online communities illustrate the vast range of possibilities when it comes to drafting a will. From heartfelt bequests to acts of revenge, wills can reveal much about a person’s true desires, relationships, and sense of humor. Whether driven by love, humor, or a desire for justice, these unexpected provisions serve as a reminder that the final testament can significantly impact the lives of those left behind.
Share Your Story
Have you come across any strange or unexpected clauses in a will? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below—we’d love to hear about the most unusual things people have included in their final wishes!
Disclaimer: The stories shared here are inspired by user-submitted content on online forums and have been edited for clarity and privacy. Names and identifying details have been changed to protect the individuals involved.
