Dying without a will - how would this effect you?
When a person dies without leaving a will they are said to die “intestate”. The rules of intestacy depend on your circumstances.
Below is a short summary of the Intestacy Rules.
If you are married or in a civil partnership and have children
- Spouse/Civil Partner receives all personal possessions.
- Spouse/Civil Partner receives the first £250,000 of the estate plus half of the remainder.
- The other half goes to the children at age 18 or earlier marriage.
If you are married or in a civil partnership with no children
- Spouse/Civil Partner gets the whole estate.
- If you have no surviving Spouse or Civil Partner but you have children.
- Estate goes to children equally at 18 or earlier marriage.
Children who do not survive to inherit
- The grandchildren will inherit the share which they would otherwise inherited.
- If the grandchildren have not survived then great grandchildren will inherit.
If you have no surviving Spouse or Civil Partner and have had no children
- Estate goes to parents.
- If no parents, then to brothers and sisters of the whole blood or their children.
- Failing that to brothers and sisters of the half blood or their issue.
- Failing that, to grandparents.
- Failing that, to uncles and aunts of the whole blood or their children.
- Failing that, to uncles and aunts of the half blood or their children.
- Failing all that the estate goes to the Crown!!