Ulm: Court judges fake promises in the inheritance dispute

Ulm: Court judges fake promises in the inheritance dispute

A legal dispute before the Ulm district court has heated the minds and raises questions about financial agreements within adoption-based families. The adoptive children of the 91-year-old drugstore entrepreneur Erwin Müller sued their adoptive father for an amount in the millions, since they felt financially exploited according to their own statements.

Background of the argument

The conflict has been floating for years, it originated in May 2015, when Müller obtained the idea of adoption to his friends and later adoptive children during a visit to a mountain hut in the Austrian Alps. Müller, whose relationship with his biological son was already tense, promised the three Allgäuern - Andreas J., Stefanie J. and Adrian J. - a carefree life as long as they live.

A court ruling with far-reaching consequences

On Monday the verdict was made, which all plaintiffs left disappointed. The Ulm judge found that the adoptive children had understood the conditions of the contract that said that they should do without their compulsory share at the Erbe Müller and were not in financial or emotional forced situation. According to the court, the adoption and the associated agreements were legally correct and not immoral.

The role of financial structures in families

In the context of the indictment, sums of up to 500 million euros were involved, which the situation continued. The plaintiffs were offered donations of 400,000 euros each, spread over a period of ten years, which was perceived as insufficient. The idea of maintaining a finca in Mallorca and a shooting center in the Jungingen district of Ulm apparently only turned out to be an unfulfilled dream.

Appeal and the future of the Fall

The lawyer of the plaintiffs, Maximilian Ott, immediately announced that it would appeal. "We will continue to fight for justice," says Ott. Nevertheless, the adoptive children face the challenge of letting the cost of the appeal procedure. The plaintiffs also have the process costs, which should not be insignificant in the judgment.

Social reflection and inheritance disputes

This legal discussion throws a light on the often tricky financial and emotional bonds in adoptive family relationships. It remains to be seen what consequences the judgment on the families and the meanness has, in particular with regard to the perception of contracts that are concluded between family members. What begins here as a friendly gesture could be perceived in society as an example of the challenges of a financial agreement within a family.

- Nag