What happens if you die without a will in England and Wales
The UK intestacy rules explained: who inherits, what your spouse gets, why cohabitees and stepchildren are left out, and how to fix it.
Insights & guides
Plain-English guides to writing your will
Articles on choosing executors, leaving a legacy, inheritance tax, blended families and the practical nuts and bolts of probate.
Fixed-fee wills vs hourly solicitor costs
Fixed-fee and hourly-rate will writing compared - typical 2026 prices, hidden costs, and how online wills change the picture.
Why every parent with children under 18 needs a will
A clear UK guide for parents of young children: why a will matters, how to appoint guardians, who manages your children's inheritance, and how to protect a young family in 2026.
What happens to your children if you die without a will?
A plain-English UK guide to what intestacy means for children: who decides who looks after them, what they inherit, how the statutory trust works, and why stepchildren and unmarried partners are exposed.
How to protect your children's inheritance from divorce
A practical UK guide to keeping inherited money in the bloodline if your children later divorce: the trust structures that work, the trade-offs, and how nuptial agreements complement them.
Writing a will after divorce or separation
What happens to your existing will when you divorce or separate, and the changes most people need to make: beneficiaries, executors, guardians, pensions and life insurance.
What happens to your estate if you're single with no children?
A UK guide for single people without children: how intestacy decides who inherits, why the bloodline chain rarely matches your wishes, and how a will gives you full control.
Planning your will when you remarry
Marriage automatically revokes an earlier will. A UK guide to second-marriage will planning: structures that protect both your new spouse and children from previous relationships.
How to include your house in your will
A practical UK guide to leaving your home in a will — ownership types, mortgages, blended families and the inheritance tax thresholds that apply.
How to leave money to grandchildren in your will
A UK guide to leaving money to grandchildren: choosing release ages, equal versus tailored shares, trust structures, and the inheritance tax angles every grandparent should know.
What happens to jointly owned property when you die?
How joint tenants and tenants in common property passes on death in the UK — survivorship, probate, mortgages and inheritance tax.
Tenants in common vs joint tenants explained
The difference between joint tenants and tenants in common in England and Wales, and which suits your family situation.
How to leave your business in a will
A practical UK guide to passing on a business in your will — sole traders, partnerships, shares, Business Property Relief and shareholder agreements.