The Rules of Intestacy - England & Wales
Are you Married or in a Civil Partnership?
YES
Is your estate worth more than £250,000?
Everything goes to your spouse or civil partner.
Your spouse/civil partner gets personal chattels, £250,000 and a life interest in half the remainder.
Children get the rest.
Do you have any children?
Do you have any parents?
Your spouse/civil partner gets personal chattels, £450,000 and a life interest in half the remainder.
Your parents share the rest absolutely.
Your spouse/civil partner gets personal chattels, £450,000 and a life interest in half the remainder.
Your siblings share the rest absolutely.
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
YES
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
Do you have any children?
NO
YES
Do you have any living parents?
YES
NO
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
NO
YES
Do you have any nieces and nephews?
YES
NO
Do you have any living grandparents?
YES
NO
Do you have any uncles and aunts?
NO
Do you have remoter relatives?
NO
YES
YES
Your estate is shared equally between them.
Your estate is shared equally between them.
Your estate is shared equally between them.
Your estate is shared equally between them.
Your estate is shared equally between them.
Your estate is shared equally between them.
Your estate is shared equally between them.
If no ancestry/issue can be found then the estate goes to the government department Bona Vancantia to be administered by the Treasury Solicitor
Please not that the above chart relates to our understanding as of January 2014. Legislation and Taxation could change in the Future.