When Someone Dies Without a Will: The Rules

New rules are now in place governing what happens when somebody dies without a will. 

Under the old rules, the deceased’s spouse (or civil partner) had to share the estate with the deceased’s surviving parents or siblings, as long as there were no children involved.

The new rules mean that the deceased’s spouse or civil partner will inherit everything, or if they have children they will share the estate with the children.

This means the children of a deceased person who was married could receive far less than they would have done under the old rules. It also means that parents could inherit nothing at all.

Surprisingly, the position remains the same for co-habitees, who still have absolutely no protection regardless of whether or not they have children together.

The changes to the law highlight how important it is to have a will in place to ensure that your assets are distributed as you would want them to be.

Contact us for a free, no obligation discussion about making a will.