Inheritance Law Changes

Inheritance Law Changes

New rules on how people whose civil partner or spouse dies without making a will have started. The new rules that have come into force will change the way married couples or civil partners inherit their partner’s estate, if they were to die without a will. The changes will apply to England and Wales.

For married couples with no children, the living partner will inherit their partners entire estate, rather than £450,000 and then half of the remaining. Under old rules the partner could receive the first £450,000 then half of anything else that remained and the rest was divided up between family members.

For those with children, it is similar to before where the surviving partner will get £250,000 but only half of the remainder rather than interest on that amount.

The new system was introduced to address concerns over the current system for inheritance not being fair. Now some who losing out on an inheritance will be have a better chance at gaining one.

It was also made so children who were essentially step children of the deceased but their parent was not married to them, has rights to inheritance too.