The number of enquiries about people who have died without making a will has more than doubled over the past five years, Citizens Advice says.
The charity recorded 1,522 such queries in 2011, rising to 3,747 in 2015, along with a rise in queries about problems executing wills.
According to a YouGov survey, nearly two-thirds of the British adult population do not have a will.
Not having one can cause financial and emotional stress at additional a very vulnerable time.
“A will helps to ensure that your assets are divided among the family, friends, and charities of your choice, and can help you manage the amount of inheritance tax you pay,”
“Thousands of people die every year without making a will or without one that has been properly drafted. If you die without a will your final wishes may well go unheeded, and your loved ones may have to cope with additional financial stress at a time of bereavement.”
What happens if there is no will?
If someone dies without a will, rules dictate how their money, property or possessions should be allocated, and potentially not in the way the deceased would have wished.
Unmarried couple?
Unmarried partners and partners who have not registered a civil partnership cannot inherit from each other unless there is a will
If there are no surviving relatives who can inherit under the rules of intestacy, the estate passes to the Crown Specific rules can vary across the United Kingdom.
Information BBC & CAB:
