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What happens if you haven’t made a will

If you die without making a will, the government effectively makes a will for you.

Making a will offers you the peace of mind that your money and possessions will be distributed according to your wishes. If you have not made a will, your estate will be distributed according to our intestacy laws.

Find out how our intestacy laws work, and discover why they may not correspond to your wishes here.

But there is more to consider than whether or not your wishes will be respected. The consequences of dying without a will fall hardest on those left behind to pick up the pieces. A recent survey by the National Consumer Council found that the human cost of people not making a will runs high.

At a time when your loved ones are feeling most vulnerable they will have to deal with…

• The extra hassle and worry over administering an estate without a will.
  
  
• The extra expense that is associated with administering an estate without a will.
  
  
• The extra strain and the lasting damage to personal relationships that can occur when it's not clear how someone may have wished to distribute their money and possessions.
  
  
• The devastating consequences of seeing an estate is distributed (according to the inheritance or intestacy laws) to the "wrong" people.
  
  
• The possible economic consequences of having the family home sold to pay out surviving relatives

Put simply, there is an easy and effective way to save your loved ones a lot of heartache and strife. By making a will you can ensure that you have peace of mind and that you're saving your loved ones the time, stress, expense and potential heartache of trying to sort out your affairs after you're gone.

Making a will is simple. Make a legally valid Will now.

Write Your Will with Lawpack:

• Last Will & Testament DIY Will Kit
• Fixed Price Online Will Service
• Fixed Price Bespoke Will Service
• Will Storage Service

Related Will Articles:

• Life events: when you need to make a new will
• Eight reasons why you should be making a will
• Why you should make a will: the intestacy laws explained

Published on: June 1, 2010

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