It is essentially up to you who you decide to leave an inheritance to in your will – there are no rules about who you must include. But before you decide to leave someone out you might want to consider the impact this will have after you’ve gone.
If someone is excluded
If you choose to exclude (or neglect to include) someone who is dependant on you financially they may be able to challenge your will in court. Find out more in our ‘When can your will be challenged in court’ article.
A challenge to your will can be expensive and time consuming. It can also cause problems in relationships between your close friends and family, costs to your estate and no end of stress for your executors. It is always worthwhile thinking hard before cutting someone out who may have thought they had a reasonable expectation of inheriting something, just to save the heartache that will undoubtedly be caused after you’ve gone.
When you write your will with us we’ll help you identify who the key people and those who are dependent on you are, so you won’t inadvertently cut someone out, but it is completely up to you who you include.