Jacqui C, I totally sympathise with you over your mother. My brother left the country to get away from our mother, and I suffered many years of misery trying to keep her placated and keep my own family going. When she died about 10 years ago, she cut me and my brother out of her will, and left everything to my stepbrother (from my dad's first marriage).

They used my cousin, who was a solicitor, to legally try and prevent me from getting anything. However, I clearly had a case, and at least managed to get enough to allow me to visit my brother in France and have a few nice little things - not enough to get any property though, and to this day, I am still renting.

Needless to say, I never saw any of them again. So it's me, my immediate family, my brother who has always been supportive, and my circle of friends. That's enough for me. As you said, life's too short...

Jenny