Will-writing essential for unmarried couples

Solicitors would advise that an accurate and current will is essential in passing on inheritance to a partner to whom you are not married.

The latest survey by Will Aid has shown that one in seven people either have an outdated will or none at all.

The law in Northern Ireland states that if there is no extant will, a spouse usually receives the first £200,000, plus any personal belongings and fifty per cent of the estates residue - providing there are no children.

If there are children, then £125,000 is apportioned to the spouse, as well as half of the remaining estate in the form of a life trust. The other half is bequeathed to the couples' offspring.

However, cohabitees have no guaranteed rights to any of the inheritance in the event of a partners' death, when there is no written will in place. 'Dying intestate', as solicitors refer to it, is accompanied by a strict set of guidelines for the dividing up of any wealth or property.

Relatives from all factions of the family could all be eligible while the surviving partner in an unmarried couple does not have a place in the queue.

In the event of no family, even the state is ahead of the cohabite, absorbing the estate in the event of no other family being traceable.

Solicitors in Northern Ireland will urge cohabitees to take into consideration these laws, and if they want to protect their loved one in the event of something unfortunate happening to them, the best thing they can do is to write a will.

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