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Estate Planning & Family Articles
The wider planning picture: cohabiting couples and the myth of common-law marriage, blended families, joint property ownership, digital legacy, care fees, pensions and life insurance nominations.
All 85 estate planning & family articles
- Cohabitation Rights Bill in the LordsThe Cohabitation Rights Bill had its Lords second reading in July 2026.28 August 2026 · 5 min read
- The Government Just Said It in Plain EnglishThe government's own Easy Read guide on cohabitation states it plainly: if you're not married and your partner dies without a will, you could get nothing.28 August 2026 · 5 min read
- Business Asset Disposal Relief UKBusiness Asset Disposal Relief (badr, formerly Entrepreneurs' Relief) taxes qualifying business gains at 10% CGT instead of 24%.9 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Conditional Bequest UK: Gifts With Strings AttachedA testator can attach conditions to a gift in their will, requiring the beneficiary to do something (condition precedent) or restricting what the beneficiary.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Funeral Costs and the Estate UKFuneral expenses are a priority debt of the estate, paid before unsecured creditors and deductible from the estate for IHT purposes.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Inherited ISA Allowance UK: Keep the Tax-Free StatusWhen a spouse or civil partner dies, the survivor inherits their deceased partner's ISA allowance as an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS).9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Inherited Money and Divorce UKWhen a marriage breaks down, people often ask whether their inheritance is protected from their spouse's claims.9 June 2026 · 5 min read
- What Happens to an Annuity When You Die UKA single life annuity ends when the annuitant dies, no value passes to the estate.8 June 2026 · 6 min read
- Bank Account Frozen After Death UKWhy banks freeze accounts when someone dies, how long they stay frozen, how to release funds with or without probate, paying for the funeral before probate.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Bereavement Support Payment UKBereavement Support Payment (bsp) is a DWP benefit for surviving spouses and civil partners when their partner dies.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Capital Gains Tax on a Second Home UKWhen you sell a second home or holiday property in England that was never your main residence, capital gains tax applies on any gain over the base cost.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Care Home Fees After Death UK: Who Pays WhatOutstanding care home fees at the date of death are an estate liability, paid from the estate before beneficiaries receive their share.8 June 2026 · 6 min read
- Clearing a House After Death UK: Executor's GuideAn executor should not clear a deceased person's house until probate is obtained, as all personal belongings are estate assets that must be accounted for.8 June 2026 · 6 min read
- Death Certificate UK: How to Get Copies QuicklyA certified death certificate costs £11 per copy from the register office or GRO in England and Wales.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Death Notification Service UK: Tell All Banks OnceThe Death Notification Service (dns) is a free UK Finance banking industry tool that notifies multiple banks and financial institutions of a death in one step.8 June 2026 · 6 min read
- Equity Release and Care Home Fees UKEquity release can fund care home costs, but the interaction with means testing, the LPA requirement, the interest roll-up.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Heir Hunters UK: Fees, Tactics and Your RightsWhen someone dies intestate without known relatives, heir hunting firms trace distant heirs and charge a percentage fee.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- How to Avoid Care Home Fees UKMany strategies advertised as 'care home fee avoidance' are either myths or legally risky.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Inheriting Money While on Benefits UKInheritance while on Universal Credit or other means-tested benefits: what you must report, the £6,000 and £16,000 capital limits, and trust options.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Leasehold Property on Death UK: What Happens NextA leasehold flat or house forms part of the estate and passes under the will or intestacy, subject to probate.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Rental Property When a Landlord Dies UK: What HappensWhen a landlord dies, their tenancy agreements do not end, the estate inherits the landlord's rights and obligations.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Selling Inherited Property in the UKHow to sell inherited property in England and Wales: when probate is required, CGT base cost rules, rates and reporting, IHT interaction.8 June 2026 · 9 min read
- Siblings' Inheritance Rights UKWhen do siblings inherit in England and Wales, under intestacy and under a will?8 June 2026 · 6 min read
- What Happens to Child Benefit When a Parent Dies UK?Child Benefit stops automatically when the claimant parent dies. The surviving parent must re-register with HMRC's Child Benefit Office to receive payments in.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- What Happens to Loyalty Points When You Die UK?Most loyalty points are non-transferable on death under programme terms and conditions. British Airways Executive Club miles are forfeited.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- What Happens to a Mobile Phone Contract When You Die UKA mobile phone contract is a personal service agreement that cannot be transferred.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- What Happens to State Pension When You Die UK?The State Pension stops when you die. It is not automatically inherited by a spouse or civil partner.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Deed of Disclaimer UK: How to Refuse an InheritanceA deed of disclaimer lets a beneficiary refuse an inheritance after someone dies.15 May 2026 · 7 min read
- Inheriting a House UK: Tax, Ownership and Next StepsWhen you inherit a house in England and Wales, you need to understand inheritance tax, CGT on later sale, probate, and your options, keep, sell, or rent.15 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Insolvent Estate UK: Creditor Priority OrderAn insolvent estate is one where debts exceed assets. Learn the strict order creditors are paid, whether family members inherit the debts.15 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Capital Gains Tax on Inherited Property UKWhen you inherit a property in England or Wales, CGT is not charged at the point of inheritance, but if you later sell it for more than the probate value.14 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Life Tenant Rights UK: What a Life Tenant Can DoA life tenant is entitled to the income or use of trust property during their lifetime.14 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Business Succession Planning UKWhat happens to a sole trader, partnership, or limited company when the owner dies, and how to plan for business succession in England and Wales.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Care Home Fees and Property UKThe council cannot simply seize your house, but your property will be assessed for care fees if you move into residential care and no qualifying relative.13 May 2026 · 10 min read
- Deed of Gift UK: Giving Property Away in Your LifetimeWhat a deed of gift is in England and Wales, when you need one, the gift with reservation of benefit rules that can undo the IHT saving.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Deed of Variation UK: Redirect an Inheritance Tax-FreeA deed of variation lets beneficiaries redirect an inheritance within 2 years of death, and HMRC treats the change as if the deceased made it.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Donatio Mortis Causa UK: Deathbed Gifts ExplainedA donatio mortis causa is a conditional gift made in contemplation of death.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Excepted Estates UK: Skip the Full IHT AccountMost estates in England and Wales are 'excepted estates', they qualify for simplified IHT reporting and do not need the full IHT400 form.13 May 2026 · 7 min read
- Expression of Wishes Pension UKA pension expression of wishes (nomination form) tells your pension trustees who should receive death benefits.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Family Provision Claims UK: Who Can Claim and WhenA family provision claim lets certain people apply to court for reasonable financial provision from a deceased's estate.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Foreign Property in a Will UK: Getting It RightHow to deal with overseas property and foreign assets in an English will: which country's law applies, double taxation treaties, the two-will strategy.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Paying Funeral Expenses from an Estate: UK RulesFuneral expenses are the first charge on the estate in England and Wales: who pays, what is recoverable, and what happens if the estate cannot cover it.13 May 2026 · 7 min read
- Gifting Property to Children UKGifting your home or investment property to your children has major tax consequences, CGT on the gift, IHT if you die within 7 years.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Inheritance Act 1975 UK: Claiming From an EstateThe Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 lets certain people claim from an estate even if a valid will excludes them.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Normal Expenditure Out of Income UKThe normal expenditure out of income exemption (s21 IHTA 1984) allows unlimited IHT-free gifting from surplus income.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Per Stirpes Meaning in a Will: UK GuidePer stirpes means a deceased beneficiary's share passes to their children. What it means in a will, per stirpes vs per capita, and how to draft it.13 May 2026 · 7 min read
- Proprietary Estoppel UK: Broken Inheritance PromisesProprietary estoppel allows a person to claim an interest in property based on a promise made by the owner, even without a will or formal document.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Reasonable Financial Provision UKThe Inheritance Act 1975 allows close family members and dependants to claim 'reasonable financial provision' from an estate even when excluded by a will.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Renouncing an Inheritance UK: How to Say No ProperlyYou can refuse to accept an inheritance in England and Wales using a deed of disclaimer.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Severance of Joint Tenancy UK: Why and How to Do ItSevering a joint tenancy converts co-ownership from automatic survivorship to separate shares, letting each owner control their share via their will.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Stepchildren and Inheritance UKStepchildren have no automatic inheritance rights in the UK. Under intestacy rules they receive nothing.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Tenants in Common on Death UK: What Happens to a ShareWhen a tenant in common dies, their share does not pass automatically to the other owner, it passes under their will or the intestacy rules.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- What Happens to Debt When You Die UK? Credit CardsDebt does not die with you in the UK, it falls on your estate, not your family.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- What Happens to Your Pension When You Die UKPensions do not pass through your will, they are paid to beneficiaries you nominate directly via an expression of wish form.13 May 2026 · 10 min read
- What Is Estate Planning? UK Basics in Plain EnglishEstate planning means organising what happens to your assets and healthcare if you die or lose capacity.13 May 2026 · 12 min read
- Cohabiting Couples Rights UK 2026Common law marriage does not exist in England and Wales. Cohabiting partners inherit nothing without a will.12 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Next of Kin UK: Who Inherits and What Rights They Have'Next of kin' has no fixed legal meaning in England. Without a will, intestacy rules decide who inherits, not assumptions about family. Plain guide. 2026.12 May 2026 · 6 min read
- What to Do When Someone Dies UKA plain-English step-by-step checklist for what to do when someone dies in the UK, registering the death, finding the will, probate.12 May 2026 · 9 min read
- What Happens to a Bank Account When You Die UKWhen you die, your bank accounts are frozen until probate is granted. Here is exactly what happens to sole accounts, joint accounts.11 May 2026 · 7 min read
- What Happens to a Mortgage When You Die UKWhen you die with a mortgage in the UK, what happens depends on whether you own jointly or alone, and whether you have life insurance.11 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Joint Tenants vs Tenants in Common UK, Key DifferencesJoint tenants vs tenants in common: two very different ways to co-own property in England & Wales with very different consequences for your will.23 April 2026 · 6 min read
- Appropriation of Assets UK: How Executors Use ItAn executor may appropriate estate assets in satisfaction of a legacy or share of residue under section 41 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925. · 9 min read
- Cohabiting Couples Property Rights UKProperty rights for cohabiting couples in England and Wales, how constructive and resulting trusts work, TOLATA 1996 court claims. · 8 min read
- Cohabitation Agreement UK: Protect an Unmarried PartnerA cohabitation agreement is a private legal contract setting out the financial rights of unmarried partners.
- Disclaiming an Inheritance in the UKA plain-English guide to disclaiming an inheritance in England and Wales, when you can disclaim, formal requirements, effect on IHT and CGT.
- Disinheriting Someone in a UK WillCan you cut a child, spouse, or family member out of your will in England and Wales?
- Distribution of an Estate UK: Order and TimelinesOnce debts are paid and HMRC clearance obtained, the personal representative distributes the estate. · 9 min read
- Estate Duty History UK: From Death Duties to IHTTrace the history of death taxes in England and Wales, from the Finance Act 1894 Estate Duty through Capital Transfer Tax (1975–1986) to the Inheritance Tax. · 9 min read
- Inheriting the Family Home UK: Tax and OwnershipWhat happens when several beneficiaries inherit a family home in England and Wales, the options to sell, buy out, or rent, CGT and SDLT implications, and what to do when beneficiaries cannot agree. · 8 min read
- Gifts Inter Vivos UK: Lifetime Gifts and the 7-Year RuleA gift inter vivos is a lifetime gift that may be subject to inheritance tax if the donor dies within 7 years. · 10 min read
- Grandchildren and Inheritance UKDo grandchildren inherit in England and Wales? Grandchildren only inherit under intestacy if their parent has predeceased the grandparent.
- The Hotchpot Rule UK: Equalising Lifetime GiftsThe hotchpot rule requires a beneficiary who has received an advancement from the deceased to bring it into account before taking a further share of the estate.
- Inheritance Act 1975 Claims UKThe Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 allows family members and dependants to challenge a will or intestacy.
- Notice of Severance UK: Splitting a Joint TenancySevering a joint tenancy converts co-ownership from joint tenants (right of survivorship) to tenants in common (transmissible share). · 8 min read
- Overreaching UK: How Trust Interests Are ClearedOverreaching is the mechanism by which equitable interests in land are swept off the title and onto the proceeds when a purchaser pays capital money to two. · 8 min read
- Personal Representative Duties Timeline UKA practical month-by-month guide to the duties of an executor or administrator in England and Wales, from securing assets on death to final distribution. · 10 min read
- Rule in Howe v Earl of Dartmouth UKThe rule in Howe v Earl of Dartmouth (1802) requires trustees of a residuary estate to convert wasting, hazardous. · 8 min read
- The Rule in Strong v Bird UKHow appointing a donee as executor can perfect an incomplete lifetime gift, the four requirements, the Re Gonin limits, and estate planning implications.
- Saunders v Vautier UK: Ending a Trust EarlyThe rule in Saunders v Vautier allows beneficiaries who are adult, of full mental capacity. · 8 min read
- Stamp Duty Inherited Property UK: SDLTInheriting property in England does not usually trigger Stamp Duty Land Tax, but there are exceptions.
- Survivorship and Deeds UK: How Joint Property PassesWhat a survivorship deed does, how to sever a joint tenancy and register the change at Land Registry, why couples use it for inheritance tax planning, and what happens to your will afterwards. · 7 min read
- Joint Tenancy and Right of Survivorship UKJoint tenancy means property passes automatically to the surviving owner, bypassing your will.
- Time Limits for Inheritance Claims UKInheritance claims in England and Wales are subject to strict time limits. The Inheritance Act 1975 gives claimants 6 months from the grant of probate. · 9 min read
- Vesting of an Estate UK: When Assets Legally TransferUnder section 1 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925, all real and personal property of the deceased vests in the executor at the moment of death. · 8 min read
- What Happens to Shares When Someone Dies UK | GuideWhat happens to shares when someone dies in the UK: valuation using the quarter-up rule, stock transfer vs transmission, ISA shares, AIM BPR relief, and notifying the registrar. · 8 min read
Self-help information only. Articles on this blog are for general informational purposes and do not constitute legal advice. WillSafe UK is not a firm of solicitors. For complex estates, blended families, business assets or foreign property, please speak to a qualified solicitor.