FAQs

What is the purpose of making a will?

Making a will can provide numerous legal protections that will ensure your personal affairs are properly taken care of after you die. This includes:

• Ensuring that your estate is managed by people you trust to respect your wishes
• Providing financial support and certainty for your family, including covering costs and arrangements for your funeral
• Looking after the needs of unmarried partners or former spouses who would not otherwise be automatically covered
• Guaranteeing that any children left behind will have a secure future and guardianship, avoiding potential family disputes
• Making sure that your estate does not pass into the ownership of the government against your will

What happens if I die without making a will?

Dying intestate – without a will – means that your estate will be administered in accordance with intestacy rules after you die, giving your family relatively little control. This could result in a number of undesired outcomes:

• Your assets will automatically pass to your closest relatives, with loved ones who are not directly related to you – including stepchildren, unmarried partners and close friends – missing out
• You will be unable to bequeath any assets to organisations or favoured charities
• If you are married but not divorced, your estranged partner will have control over your estate
• You will have no say over who will look after any of your children after you die
• If no next of kin can be identified, your entire estate could be claimed by the state