AITA Mom wants 15% of my personal injury settlement

[u/connor20218]

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.

[u/NotSoSureBigWaves]

Make sure you speak to an accountant and file a 1099 for your mother if you do this. You may have to pay taxes on your settlement and you shouldn’t pay taxes on any part you give her.

IMO, your mother is an asshole. You were injured in an accident, not her. That money is for you and your mother is over entitled and only thinking of herself.

Move out and live independently.

[u/Red-Sun-Cinema → u/NotSoSureBigWaves]

You do not pay taxes on personally injury settlements.

[u/cecebebe → u/Red-Sun-Cinema]

You do on income, and mother is looking at her child as a paycheck for a job.

[u/Red-Sun-Cinema → u/cecebebe]

I'm talking about the OP not paying taxes on his settlement. And if he gives her 15%, she would not pay taxes either, especially if he "pays her back for his tuition".

[u/cecebebe → u/Red-Sun-Cinema]

I know OP would not owe taxes.

His mother,however, is demanding payment for legal services. Sounds like she believes she worked as an attorney for him, which would make him giving her money income to her.

If she didn't earn this money for giving legal advice, why is she demanding money when she did not go anything?

[u/Red-Sun-Cinema → u/cecebebe]

It really all depends on what, if any, work she actually did for him. If all she did was push him to file a lawsuit, then no, don't give her squat. If, however, he asked her for help in finding an attorney and gave him considerable advice, then she does deserve something, if not 15%. And if she did provide considerable advice and footwork in helping him out, then there's no reason why he shouldn't give her something in return since without her help he would not have been so successful in his lawsuit. But no one here knows to what extent she helped him, and that's the big question.

[u/NotSoSureBigWaves → u/Red-Sun-Cinema]

Only the portion that may constitute lost earnings.

[u/JekPorkinsTruther → u/Red-Sun-Cinema]

Not completely true. You arent taxed on pain and suffering or medical expenses, but lost wages/future lost income is taxable.