Research into disinheritance: would you like to share your story?

What are the emotional, social and legal consequences for children who have been disinherited?

These questions are central to a joint study by the Faculties of Behavioural and Social Sciences and Law. Sociologist Marieke Haan and legal scholar Irene Visser are looking for adults who have been disinherited and are willing to share their experiences.

Haan: ‘There is a lot of information about parents' motives for drawing up or amending their wills, but very little is known about how this is experienced by those who are disinherited.’

Emotional impact

The research stems from an earlier joint WODC study into the legitimate portion, the part of the inheritance to which a child is entitled if they have been disinherited by a parent in their will. Haan: ‘In that study, we noticed how much emotional impact disinheritance has, despite the fact that there are increasingly more blended families and family ties are becoming looser. We are now looking into this in more depth.’

The researchers are using a combination of interview techniques and network visualisations to better understand how disinheritance affects family ties and what effect it has on the sense of justice of those involved. Haan: ‘We want to speak to at least 20 to 30 experts by experience in the coming months.’

The aim is to find as diverse a group as possible: ‘Whether it's a large or small inheritance, or whether the disinheritance was ultimately reversed, all stories from people who have been disinherited are welcome.’

You can register via this link: https://forms.gle/uQNJk5Cwru19o3yKA

Or contact Marieke Haan: marieke.haan rug.nl