We were recently contacted by a lady who had in very sad and tragic circumstances lost her partner. Due to the sudden nature of his untimely passing he did not have a will.

The deceased had been a very wealthy entrepreneur with many assets including a variety of businesses, several luxury homes and a collection of vehicles. His estate was easily worth several million pounds.

Although the couple had been together for many years and had become recently engaged, no wedding had actually taken place. The problem in this situation was that the law does not recognise cohabiting couples let alone provide any mechanism for access to the estate of the deceased. In effect the deceased’s estate will be dealt with in accordance with the intestacy rules which do not recognise the rights of any cohabiting partner.

The position might be slightly different if the cohabiting couple had children, or the surviving cohabiting partner could demonstrate financial dependence on the deceased partner.

It was clear that this situation would not have been what the deceased would have wanted but in the absence of a will it can be very difficult to ensure that your estate is dealt with in the way that you would like.

We understand that writing a will forces people to have to consider their own mortaility which, for many people is not a pleasant experience. However, writing a will ensures that your loved ones are properly taken care of and they do not have to worry if the worst happens. Fitz Solicitors have many years of experience writing wills and we aim to make the process as quick and painless as possible. Why not contact one of our solicitors today on 01753 592000 for a free consultation to discuss what is involved?