A will directs who inherits and who administers your estate. Without one, intestacy rules decide — and they rarely match modern families.
What happens without a will in England & Wales
Spouses do not automatically inherit everything. Unmarried partners have no automatic rights regardless of relationship length. Children may share with a spouse above certain thresholds. Scotland and Northern Ireland follow different statutory tables — location matters.
Choosing executors
Executors gather assets, pay debts, and distribute legacies. Pick someone organised, willing, and likely to outlive you. Professional executors charge fees but reduce family friction. Name at least one backup.
Guardians for children
If both parents die, guardianship clauses guide courts — they are not absolute law but carry weight. Discuss wishes with proposed guardians before naming them.
How UK adults typically make a will
- List assets and who should receive them.
- Appoint executors and guardians if needed.
- Draft with a solicitor, will-writing service, or approved template.
- Sign with two independent witnesses who are not beneficiaries.
- Store the original safely and tell executors where it lives.
Wills and life insurance
Life payouts follow policy nominations, trust wording, or your estate — not automatically your will. Align will, trust, and beneficiary forms so they do not contradict.
GOV.UK explains intestacy rules; Citizens Advice lists low-cost will options.