Elizabeth Whitaker - Solicitor - Wills, trusts and probate team
Transcript:
What happens if you don’t make a will?
If you don’t make a will, you’re being intestate, and it’s a much more complicated and long-winded way of dealing with the estate; certain members of your family have a right to a grant of representation or grant of administration it’s called, rather than a grant of probate. That gives them the power to control and distribute the assets.
There is a set order of distribution of assets on death where the deceased hasn’t left a will, and that isn’t necessarily going to be how you would like your assets to be distributed. You clearly won’t have any control over that, and neither will your family necessarily, so if you want to have control over where your assets go over death, it’s certainly worthwhile thinking about making a will.