What Does Intestacy Mean

If you die without a Will in place, you will be considered to have died intestate. If your Will can not be found, has been destroyed, or is no longer valid, your estate will be distributed under the rules of intestacy.

Who Inherits Under The Rules Of Intestacy

Under the rules of intestacy, only married or civil partners and other close relatives can inherit. Unfortunately, consideration is not given to the more modern family.

Consequently, cohabiting, but unmarried and unregistered partners can not inherit. This means that the surviving partner won’t automatically gain control of any property or assets. Similarly, step-children are not included in gaining control of estate and assets.

What Happens If There Are No Surviving Relatives

If you die intestate, without leaving any surviving relatives that are able to inherit, your estate passes to the Crown.

Rearranging Distribution

It is possible to make alternative arrangements as to how the estate is distributed, but this must be done within the first two years after death. It is referred to as making a deed of family arrangement or variation. For this to take place, everyone who would inherit under your Will must agree.

What You Can Do

The only way that you can make it clear who you want to inherit, and to ensure your assets go to the people you want to, is to write your Will. That’s where we come in to help you avoid this complicated process and provide you a secured future for your family.