New Intestacy Rules
There have recently been changes to the intestacy laws in England & Wales.
The new rules apply in England and Wales only; Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own intestacy rules.
The intention is to simplify and improve the rights of married couples and civil partners, both with and without children. As a result of this, spouses and civil partners may potentially receive more than before.
Whilst the changes will help married couples and civil partners, either with or without children, for cohabitees the position is different. They still have less protection under the law.
Oliver Hallam comments:
"This is a reminder to co-habitees of the importance of having a will as they do not have the same rights as married couples and civil partners."
"If cohabitees do not have a Will, their estate could end up passing to parents, siblings or children, and skip their partner completely."
|
If you would like to discuss any aspect of this article further, please contact Oliver Hallam or any member of the Wrigleys' Private Client team on 0113 244 6100. You can also keep up to date by following Wrigleys Private Client team on Twitter here The information in this article is necessarily of a general nature. Specific advice should be sought for specific situations. If you have any queries or need any legal advice please feel free to contact Wrigleys Solicitors |
October 2014
