Haven't Made A Will? Changes To Who Inherits Your Estate

If you have not made a Will and die unexpectedly, your estate would be subject to the intestacy rules. These set out who will inherit your assets. If you leave a surviving spouse/CP and no children, your spouse/CP will inherit the whole of your estate. If you leave children but no surviving spouse/CP, your entire estate would be divided equally between them.

However, the position is more complex if you leave a surviving spouse/CP and children. From 6 February 2020, your spouse/CP will now receive £270,000 of your estate (increased from £250,000) and the remainder will then be split equally between them and your children.

Whilst this increase is good news for spouses/CPs, it may still leave some widows and widowers struggling. The increase also has adverse implications...

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