The Citizens Advice Bureau has announced that the number of enquiries it has received about people who have died without making a will has more than doubled in the past five years. From 1,522 queries in 2011 to 3,747 in 2015 – an increase of almost 250%!
In addition, a YouGov survey found that nearly two thirds of British adults still do not have a will, even though the consequences for loved ones can be devastating. MVL Wills and Trusts Ltd can put appropriate bespoke planning in place for you, either in the comfort of your own home or in our offices in Battle, East Sussex. Call 01424 577070 for more information or email info@mvlwillsandtrusts.co.uk.
If you die without a valid will in place, your final wishes may well go unheeded and your family may suffer months or even years of financial stress. Your estate could even have to pay inheritance tax which a simple will might well have prevented. With no will in place the rules of intestacy take over and determine how your money, property or possessions are to be distributed, and potentially not in the way you would have wished.
Unmarried partners may not inherit anything from you and if there are no obvious surviving relatives, the Crown may inherit the whole estate.
Dying intestate could create chaos which your loved ones will have to deal with at a very difficult time for them, so make sure you have appropriate planning in place.
Remember: it’s never too early to arrange a will… but it’s often too late.