Why staying single could lead to inheritance rows
Whitebrook Wills - Wednesday, November 12, 2014
A recent article in The Telegraph examined why staying single could lead to inheritance rows, following the results of 2011's census, which reveals that just under half of all UK adults are married.
The statistics showed that:
- UK adults who are married dropped from 51% to just under 47% between the 2001 census and the 2011 census
- The number of adults classing themselves as single had risen by a quarter
- The number of divorcees had risen by a fifth
- Around half of all children are now born outside marriage
With the change in society's attitudes towards cohabiting couples and divorce, many couples now choose to have a family but simply not to go to the expense and fuss of a wedding.
Problems arise however, when one of the partners dies without having left an up to date will.
Contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as a common law marriage and if the individuals are not married, then the next of kin is often considered to be the children, parents or siblings of the deceased. The surviving partner could be left with nothing.
If you want to stay together as a couple but not marry, then at least plan for the future by having wills professionally drafted for you. In this way, you can rest assured that you will continue to support each other – even after death.
