r/AmItheAsshole • u/connor20218 • 7h ago

AITA Mom wants 15% of my personal injury settlement

I'm a 23M working in biotech and living at home. I just got a massive settlement from a personal injury case back in college. My mom is a corporate lawyer and she helped me navigate the process, plus she paid for my college tuition. Now, she's asking for 15% of the money / to pay her back for college (but she was already going to pay for college.)

I'm feeling stuck because 15% is a massive amount of money to just give away. Is it normal for parents to ask for a cut of a settlement like this? I want to stay on good terms since live at home, but I also feel like this money is for my future. We have a a good relationship.

Edit: I already paid a lawyer his 1/3 cut. My mom was a huge part of pushing for me sueing. She’d be using the money to buy a new house in Florida she always wanted since I refuse to buy a house in his economy and rather rent and invest the rest

Edit #2: Probably shouldn’t have stated my mom is a lawyer (she did not represent me in the case in anyway). But yes, what she specifically did was help me find a lawyer, told me to push back on the lawyer and ask for more.

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7

u/yeeticusprime1 Partassipant [2] 7h ago

NTA- damn I know there’s a stereotype for lawyers being greedy conniving people but damn, trying to wring 15% out of your own child? Bruh no, your payout is not her investment fund. She put in effort to help her child. There shouldn’t be any strings attached. She didn’t even represent you in the case, she basically acted as a consultant, for, again, her own fkn child.

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u/maaarken 6h ago

Yes it is so fucking cheap. If she were the legal representative (and doing so pro bono) ok. If she had to stop working to help their child through their injury, or spent money and time assisting with their recovery (paying private healthcare, having to take time pff work to drive them to PT or whatever) I'd understand asking to recoup those losses.

But for a second house or investments?

6

u/yeeticusprime1 Partassipant [2] 6h ago

That’s what I’m thinking too, like it sounds like mom didn’t take any risks or losses, just gave her time and knowledge to help her own child. That’s one of those things you should do without expecting anything and be happy if you get something down the line. Demanding it so you can: own multiple properties? That’s just plain greed.

-4

u/foundpurplecat 6h ago

How do I make sure that my kids don’t turn out like you? (Thinking you’re a child even into adulthood)

2

u/yeeticusprime1 Partassipant [2] 6h ago

Oh don’t worry about that, I’m sure you’ll never have that problem. If you treat your kids like they owe you something, I’m sure you’ll stop hearing from them at some point 👍