The number of people who die each year in the UK without a Will is surprisingly high. According to research in 2018 around 54% of adults did not have a Will.
The number of people who die each year in the UK without a Will is surprisingly high. According to research in 2018 around 54% of adults did not have a Will. But have you ever considered what would happen to your money and assets if you didn’t have a Will when you died? There is no simple answer to this question, it very much depends on your personal circumstances. The one thing that we can reassure you about is that it is very rare for your estate to go straight to the government if you don’t have a Will. There are rules that set out what happens if you die without a Will. It is only if you have no living relatives at all that the Crown takes your money after your death. If you are married and have children, depending on the value of your estate it will either all pass to your spouse or it will be divided between your spouse and your children. The division between your spouse and your children may cause problems in the long run that could have been avoided by making a Will. If you are living with a partner but are not married, they will not automatically inherit your estate regardless of how long you have been living together. Unfortunately “common law marriage” is not recognised in England and Wales, so if you want your partner to receive your estate you will need to make a Will to ensure this happens. A Will also gives you the opportunity to say who you want to sort out your affairs after your death. Without express instructions, the Intestacy Rules govern who should act and they may not be the person most able to cope with the responsibility or the person you would have chosen. Whilst some people find that their estate would be administered by the person of their choice and would be divided between their family exactly as they’d want without a Will, many more will find that they would not be happy with the outcome if they died without putting a Will in place. To find out whether you ought to make a Will please call us to arrange an appointment on 01945 898090.
