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29/10/2009
Inheritance rights shake-up proposed |
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The Law Commission has proposed a shake-up of the inheritance system, which would see certain automatic rights being applied to cohabiting couples.
At present only married couples enjoy automatic rights of half the estate of the deceased going to the surviving partner, but the Intestacy and Family Provision Claims on Death report argues that this should be extended to cohabitees.
This will apply where couples have lived together for five years or have had a child, giving them the same rules as married couples and civil partners.
It argues that this should happen because cohabitation is becoming an "an accepted family form" and noted that four-fifths of couples living together this way have not made a will.
Such inheritance rules, however, may not cover all the details of how somebody may wish for their estate to be divided after they die and for this people may wish to see a lawyer skilled in will drafting whether they are married or not.
Earlier this week, consumer website Unbiased.co.uk revealed that 65 per cent of UK couples with children aged under 18 have not made wills.
Written by Pauline Adams
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