If your loved one does not leave a Will, then government rules dictate how their money, property or possessions will be distributed. This may not be what he or she wished.
Unmarried couples and partners who have not registered a civil partnership cannot inherit from each other unless they have a Will.
If a person dies and does not have surviving relatives who can inherit under the intestacy rules, then the estate passes to the Crown. The person may have had strong friendships or preferred charities whom might have benefited instead.
Most people put off making a Will. For example, Prince, the famous musician, died without leaving one. As a result, a bank is administering his estate which will be slow, expensive and impersonal. His relatives will not have a say in how the estate is administered, or worse, will perhaps enter into their own legal challenges.
According to the Citizens Advice Bureau statistics, 3,747 people contacted them in 2015 regarding their loved one’s estate because they had not left a Will. They required advice regarding administering the estate.
