"I don't really have anything to leave - do I actually need a will?" It is one of the most common questions in our inbox, and the honest answer is: yes, almost certainly. A will is not really about how much you own. It's about who you want to look after, who you trust to sort things out, and how much hassle you want to leave behind. This guide unpacks why even people with modest estates benefit from a will, and the few situations where you might genuinely be able to skip one.
The myth that wills are for "people with assets"
Wills are sold - by both popular culture and the legal profession - as a thing for the wealthy. Big inheritances. Complicated portfolios. Country houses. Most people who say "I don't need a will" are picturing that.
The reality is much closer to home. A will is also where you:
- Name guardians for children under 18.
- Choose executors to wind up your affairs.
- Spell out who gets sentimental items - jewellery, photographs, the dog.
- Decide what happens to a digital legacy - email accounts, photo libraries, social media.
- Make small gifts to charities, friends, godchildren or causes that matter to you.
None of that depends on the size of your estate. A 22-year-old renter with no savings and a dog still has decisions to make about who looks after the dog. A pensioner living in a one-bed flat still has someone they want to leave the framed family photos to.
What "no assets" usually still means
Sit down with a sheet of paper and list what you actually own. Most people are surprised by how much shows up:
- Your home if you own it - even partially, even with a mortgage.
- Pension pots - often the largest single asset by middle age.
- Savings, ISAs, premium bonds.
- Vehicles.
- Life insurance - which can be tens or hundreds of thousands.
- Possessions - jewellery, art, instruments, tools, collectibles.
- Digital assets - crypto, online businesses, monetised social accounts. We cover the digital side in our crypto and digital assets guide.
People who think they have "nothing" frequently turn out to have an estate well into five or six figures once you add it up. And even when the estate really is modest, the question "who gets it" is still worth answering.
What happens to your stuff if you skip the will
If you die without a will, the intestacy rules in the Administration of Estates Act 1925 decide. They follow a fixed legal order - spouse, then children, then parents, then siblings, and so on. The rules are blunt:
- An unmarried partner is invisible to intestacy. Decades together, and they get nothing automatically.
- Stepchildren you've raised but never adopted are also invisible.
- A spouse you're separated from but not divorced from is still your spouse for inheritance purposes.
- Children all inherit equally, regardless of need.
- If no relatives can be found, the estate passes to the Crown.
This is true even for "small" estates. A £30,000 estate with the wrong intestacy outcome is just as upsetting as a £3,000,000 one. We have a fuller breakdown in what happens if you die without a will.
It's the kind of thing the Trusted Hands will builder handles in a few minutes - and it's free to start.
When you genuinely don't need a will (the short list)
To be fair, there are a small number of situations where a will adds little. Even then, having one is rarely wrong - it just isn't urgent.
- You are very young, single, with no children, no property, and no significant savings, and you'd be content for your parents to inherit everything. (Intestacy will probably do that anyway.)
- You own everything jointly with your spouse as joint tenants, you both want everything to pass to the survivor, and you accept that the survivor's intestacy will then distribute it to your shared children. (Risky if you have no children, blended families, or want anything specific to happen.)
Outside these narrow cases, a will is doing useful work. And as soon as life gets even slightly more complicated - a partner, a child, a property, a business - the case for one becomes overwhelming.
Particular situations where a will is essential
Some scenarios make a will close to non-negotiable:
You live with a partner you aren't married to. English law gives unmarried partners no automatic inheritance, no matter how long you've been together. See our cohabiting couples guide.
You have children under 18. Without a will, the courts decide who looks after them. With one, you do.
You're in a blended family. Stepchildren, ex-partners, second marriages and shared assets are exactly the kind of situation intestacy mishandles. Our blended families guide explains the typical pitfalls.
You own a home. Whether it passes by survivorship or under your will depends on the form of joint ownership, which most owners have never been told.
You want anything specific to happen. Charity gifts. A favourite niece's inheritance. A pet's care. Funeral wishes. Anything personal needs a will.
You want to reduce inheritance tax. Charitable bequests, life-interest trusts and the residence nil-rate band are will-driven. The £325,000 nil-rate band and £175,000 residence nil-rate band are frozen until April 2030, so estates approaching those thresholds need careful planning.
For complex estates, we recommend you seek assistance from a Trusted Hands Advisor or your own legal advice.
> Worth half an hour? Trusted Hands walks you through the questions in plain English. Start free → - only pay when you download.
The hidden cost of "no will"
Even when intestacy lands roughly where you'd want it to, dying without a will is more expensive in practice. Probate fees are higher because the administrator's job is harder. Disputes are more common. Time-to-distribution is longer. The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 gives certain dependents a way to challenge the intestacy outcome through the courts - which is exactly the kind of legal mess most people would want to spare their family.
A will costs less than a phone, and it stops most of that.
> Ready to start your will? Trusted Hands turns these decisions into a 15-30 minute guided builder. Start free → — only pay when you download.
Frequently asked questions
I'm 25 and renting. Do I really need a will?
If you're single, no children, no property, content for your parents to inherit - probably not yet. As soon as you have a partner you live with, a property, or a child, the answer changes immediately.
What if I'm married - won't my spouse just get everything?
Only if you have no children. With children, your spouse gets your possessions, the first £322,000, and half of the rest. Your children share the other half - which can force a sale of the family home in some situations.
My partner and I aren't married - can't they inherit informally?
No. Unmarried partners have no automatic right to inherit. They may be able to bring a claim under the 1975 Act if they were financially dependent, but that's a court process - costly, slow and uncertain. A will is far simpler.
How long does it take to make a will?
A guided online will typically takes 15-30 minutes. A solicitor appointment plus drafting and back-and-forth usually takes a couple of weeks. We cover this in how long does it take to create a will.
Is it worth doing if I might change my mind later?
Absolutely. You can update or replace a will whenever you like. A will at 30 doesn't lock you in at 60 - it just means you're covered between now and then.
Ready to write your will?
Trusted Hands is a guided, plain-English will builder. You answer simple questions, see your draft as you go, and only pay when you're ready to download.
- Free to start - no card details to begin
- Smart Will Engine - only asks what's relevant to your situation
- Fixed price - no hourly bills, no surprises
- Annual updates option - keep your will editable as life changes