Friends and Family

There is information in this section on all the things you need to think about related to your family and partner.

What should I consider in my Will if I am part of an unmarried couple?

by | | Knowledge Base, Friends and Family |

You like many people, might not realise that there is no such thing as a common law spouse. The laws around inheritance can seem outdated in many areas and don’t recognise modern family structures and living arrangements. If you’re in a long-term relationship, but not married or in a civil partnership, making a will is particularly important. If you don’t write a will your partner could end up inheriting nothing when you die. Instead your estate would be distributed according to the rules of in

Getting remarried and your will

by | | Knowledge Base, Friends and Family |

If you get remarried any will you have made previously is revoked by the marriage. This will mean you no longer have a will and if you were to die your estate would be distributed according to the rules of intestacy. Find out more in our ‘Rules of intestacy’ article. However, the will won’t be revoked if it states you are about to marry a particular person and you don’t want the the will to be revoked when that happens. If you want to make a will before your remarriage and want it to continue

What should I consider changing in my Will if I get divorced?

by | | Knowledge Base, Friends and Family |

If you’ve already got a will and you’re planning to get divorced, now could be a good time to review it and if needed write a new one. Will your will still be valid? When you get divorced your will is still valid. However, any provisions you’d made in your will to leave your estate to your spouse or for them to be an executor will be ineffective from the day your marriage ends, unless the will says otherwise. It’s also worth bearing in mind that until your divorce is finalised, your spouse will

Is my Will still valid after a divorce?

by | | Knowledge Base, Friends and Family |

Yes, your will should still be valid. However, if your ex-spouse or civil partner was appointed as an executor of the will or if they were to inherit property from you, they will be treated as though they had died on the day your marriage or civil partnership ended. The practical consequence is that they cannot act as executor and they do not inherit. Although your will is still valid, getting divorced could be a the perfect time to review it, especially if you had previously planned to leave

What if someone in my will dies before I do?

by | | Help: Estate, Knowledge Base, Friends and Family |

Unfortunately it does happen. Quite often you make your will years in advance of actually needing it and a lot can change during that time. So, if someone dies who you’ve named as a beneficiary in your will, what will happen? You have three options: 1. Change your will – if someone dies you could amend your will or write a new one to reflect that change. We recommend you review your will on a regular basis anyway to see if any changes need to be made. 2. With an Affio will you can sp