This Redditor Refused To Fund His Brother’s $100K Custody Fight, And Now His Whole Family Is Divided

A Redditor recently found themselves in an uncomfortable position after getting a completely unexpected call from their brother, who they haven’t been particularly close to in years. The siblings live in different countries, don’t talk often, and definitely don’t usually discuss money—especially not six figures.

Out of the blue, the brother asked for $100,000 to fund what he described as a final, all-out legal push in his ongoing divorce and custody battle. He framed it like a military operation, calling it a “last stand” meant to show strength and force a win.

Here’s the thing: even his own lawyers reportedly told him the case was unwinnable. They advised against moving forward, saying it would be a waste of time, money, and emotional energy.

The Redditor said they actually agreed with the lawyers based on everything their brother shared. To them, pouring that much money into a losing battle felt like doing more harm than good.

What made the decision even harder was the brother’s honesty about repayment—or lack of it. He openly admitted there was no way he could ever pay the money back.

The Redditor explained that if this were a true life-or-death situation, they would help without hesitation. But in this case, they felt the “last stand” mentality would only hurt everyone involved, including the children.

Naturally, the refusal did not go over well. The brother saw it as a betrayal during the most difficult period of his life.

Now the Redditor is stuck wondering if they drew a reasonable boundary—or if they failed their family when it mattered most. So, are they wrong for saying no, or was this the only sensible choice?

The OP’s brother’s lawyers reportedly told him the case was “unwinnable.”

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Here’s the original post by Reddit user ‘Eva_and_Logan’.

I refused to give $100,000 to my brother to fund his legal custody battle. AITA for this? My brother called out of the blue one day. We've been living in different countries for many years, and we're often not in touch. He has been going through a divorce and custody battle for a long time. The divorce is really ugly. Both he and his ex-wife are extremely similar, being stubborn, argumentative, and always right. They are both ex-army. So my brother asks for $100,000. Specifically, it's for the newest set of lawyers’ quote to conduct a last all-out custody battle. He explains it like a military strategy and explains it's a last stand and about showing strength. According to his new lawyers, it is completely unwinnable, not recommended, a waste of time, and he is better off accepting the hard truth and saving the money. I personally agree with the lawyers based on what I was told by my brother. Yet he insists it's the only thing left to do. He also said there is no way he could pay it back. My view was, if it's life or death, then yes, but it's not, and it would only hurt everyone making this last stand.

Let’s see what the Reddit community has to say.

anonaparent52

Okay, but why does his daughter need to be saved?

EmceeSuzy

This is psychotic!

Fit_Base2089

May as well save your money.

Next-Wishbone1404

NTA.

Fntsyking655

Your brother sounds like a menace.

softanimalofyourbody

He just wants you to gift him $100K.

mosaic_heartsx

He’s ridiculous!

iseeisayibe

You did the right thing.

wolofancy

He needs to be more concerned about what’s best for his daughter.

FairyFartDaydreams

He only wants to get back at his ex.

ItchyCredit

Time for him to surrender.

Rare_Sugar_7927

Get those kids some therapy.

willthesane

In the end, the Redditor stuck to their boundary, believing that throwing money at a losing battle would only cause more damage. It’s a tough call—but sometimes saying no is the most responsible form of support.