If a person dies without a valid will, intestacy laws will apply to determine who inherits their assets. The document provides a flow chart that outlines how assets are distributed based on whether the deceased was married or had children, parents, siblings, nieces/nephews, or other relatives. Notes on the next page provide more details on inheritance categories such as whole or half blood relatives and inheritance by descendants. The guide is intended to inform people about intestacy laws but professional advice is recommended for individual situations.

1. GUIDE TO INTESTACY
If you die without a valid Will intestacy laws will apply. New Statutory Legacies came into effect on the
1st February 2009. The diagram below provides the route for beneficiaries inheriting assests. Please read
the notes on the next page.
Are you married/with
civil partner?
Yes No
Is your estate worth more Do you have children?
than £250,000?
No Yes Yes No
Spouse/partner gets Do you have children? Assets shared equally Do you have parents?
everything between them on reaching 18
Yes No Yes No
Spouse/partner gets £250,000
and a life interest in half of Is the estate less than Assets shared equally Do you have brothers or
the remainder. Children get £450,000? between them sisters?
the rest
Yes No Yes No
All to spouse/partner Do you have parents? Assets shared equally Do you have half brothers or
between them sisters?
Yes No Yes No
Spouse/partner gets first
£450,000 plus half the Do you have brothers or Assets shared equally Do you have grandparents?
balance. Rest shared between sisters? between them
parents
Yes No Yes No
Spouse gets first £450,000
plus half the balance. Rest Everything to spouse/partner Assets shared equally Do you have uncle and aunts?
shared between brothers and between them
sisters
Yes No
Assets shared equally Do you have uncles and aunts
between them in the half blood?
Yes No
Assets shared equally Everthing goes to the Crown
between them
Important note: References are to surviving relatives

2. CONTACT US
We hope you found the
information in this guide
useful and informative.
If any of the points are of interest, or you
would like to discuss your own situation in
more detail, please call:
0207 831 4711
www.mplwealthmanagement.co.uk
Notes
In cases of intestacy, the categories of
potential default beneficiaries are:
- Child
- Sibling of the whole or half blood
- Uncle or aunt of the whole or half
blood
NB: ‘Whole blood’ indicates a
relationship with both parents in
common; ‘half blood’ indicates a
relationship with one parent in
common.
If anyone in one of these categories,
who would have been entitled to a
share of the estate but died before
the intestate person, leaves a child
or children of their own, then those
children will receive (in equal shares)
the share of the estate that their
parent would have taken, had their
parent survived the intestate person.
The same principle goes down through
the generations. If a child of a person
who would have been entitled to a
This guide is intended to provide information share of the estate but died before
only and reflects our understanding of the intestate person, also dies before
legislation at the time of writing. Before the intestate person, leaving a child or
you make any decision, we suggest you children, then those children will take
take professional financial advice. (in equal shares) the share that their
January 2011 parent would have taken if that parent
had survived the intestate person.
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