If you don’t make a will, you will die ‘intestate’ and your estate may not go to the people you want. There are special rules for how your estate will be distributed these are called intestacy rules.

• If you have a spouse or civil partner and children, your spouse or civil partner will inherit all your personal possessions and at least the first £250,000 of your estate, plus half the rest. Your children will then be entitled to the other half of the balance.
• If you have a spouse or civil partner but don’t have children your spouse or civil partner will inherit your whole estate, including your personal possessions.
• If you and your partner aren’t married or in a civil partnership and you haven’t made a will, they have no automatic right to inherit from your estate. This applies even if you've lived together for a long time or have children together.
• If you have children and your spouse or partner is deceased your children will inherit everything, divided equally between them.
• If you don’t have a partner or children then parents, brothers, sisters, and nieces and nephews may inherit your estate.

If you would like to have some control over how your estate is managed after your death, then a will is the easiest way of doing that and can avoid remaining family members having to deal with sensitive issues at the most difficult time.

Further information about the implications of not having a will can be found at the Money Advice Service