Letters to the Editor
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I haven't read all the letters
I haven't seen this mentioned, but in a legal no fault divorce aren't the assets split evenly? If so, she would get half the inheritance in the divorce. Secondly, weather for tax reasons or not, the inheritance is in her name too which means she can keep it.
The LW did not say her and her ex are divorced, just that she left him. Which means they are only seperated and I believe any windfall during the seperation counts too. I recall reading a story about a couple that was legally seperated when one member won the lottery. The lottery winnings in the end were considered part of the marital assets and had to be split between them.
Of course she has a right to family money, she's family. A spouse is as much a family member as a child is, just because so many people throw their non-blood related kin away doesn't mean you aren't family. They just become a member of your family you'd rather do without. Since you can't know what the grandmother would have wanted if a divorce had happened while she was alive, you don't rethink her wishes, you honor them.