The Will Aid Charity launches an awareness month from !st November to explain the dangers of dying without writing a Will. Two thirds of the population have still not made Wills even though it means that after their death their wealth may not be passed on in the way they would wish.
Writing a Will is the only certain way to guarantee that your estate goes to the people you want it to and in the shares you decide upon.Without writing a will your estate is then subject to the rules of Intestacy which were introduced almost a hundred years ago. In those days unmarried partnerships were not recognised and Estates were divided between family members only. Different intestacy rules apply in England and Wales compared to Scotland and Northern Ireland and this means costly legal advice is often necessary.
A recent case illustrated the damage inflicted on a family through not writing a Will. A son died unmarried at the age of 39 without writing a Will. Despite being raised solely by his mother and despite having a close brother his Estate which involved a property and a recent inheritance had to be split equally between his parents. His biological father who had played no role in his life nor that of his brother received one half of his assets. How traumatic is that for those grieving over the loss of a loved one?
The simple effort of writing a Will at relatively small cost can save future heartache and much legal expense and is the right thing to do for any property or asset holder who has a partner and close family.