If the house or car was in both spouse's name (e.g. the house was owned jointly), then they can't be given to the children: when property, like a house, is owned jointly, it automatically becomes the sole property of the survivor when one of the owners/spouses passes away.If it was not owned jointly, then the deceased spouse could leave it to grown children--the law allows spouses to be disinherited, in whole or in part--and the surviving spouse most likely does not have valid grounds to contest it.