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ARTICLE · 05 FEBRUARY 2015

Dying Without A Will

Withers LLP
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If you die without having a valid will, a set of legal provisions known as the intestacy rules determine what will happen to your assets.

United KingdomFamily and Matrimonial
Patricia Milner
Patricia Milner
Matthew Woods
Matthew Woods
Charlie Tee
Charlie Tee
Janette Cattell
Janette Cattell
Lucy Johnson
Lucy Johnson
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If you die without having a valid will, a set of legal provisions known as the intestacy rules determine what will happen to your assets. These rules changed with the Inheritance and Trustees' Powers Act 2014 and, as a result, a surviving spouse (or civil partner) of someone dying without a will on or after 1 October 2014 will receive a larger proportion of the deceased's assets.

Previously, where a couple was married but the deceased left no children and there was no valid will, the surviving spouse received the first £450,000 of assets, personal belongings, and one half of the remaining assets. The other one half of the remaining assets went to the surviving blood relatives of the deceased. Now, the surviving spouse receives all assets on intestacy; any surviving parents, siblings, aunts and uncles or nieces and nephews will receive nothing.

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