Dear Ms Wise, my elderly mother needs help with her bills but my brother won’t contribute, even though he has the means. Can I ask her to change her will so I’m properly compensated for money I give her? The sale of her home is likely to leave us with an inheritance. Ed

The wisdom: A first step, suggests Tim Johnson, a financial planner with Bridges Financial Services, is to discuss what you and your mother expect from this arrangement. This would establish whether you both agree that the contribution should be repaid or whether your mother sees it as a gift.