Your civil status affects your rights to inherit from your spouse/partner. Spouses and civil partners have the same legal right to inherit and the same rights on intestacy. A will is automatically revoked when you marry unless it was made in contemplation of that marriage. A bequest in a will to a person who is a witness to the will or to that person’s spouse is void.
If you are not married, you may only inherit from your partner if you are left a bequest in a valid Will. However, a spouse is entitled to what is called a "legal right share" of their deceased spouse's estate even if:
If you are not married, you may only inherit from your partner if you are left a bequest in a valid Will. However, a spouse is entitled to what is called a "legal right share" of their deceased spouse's estate even if:
- there is no will
- the will is invalid
- there is a valid will, but it leaves little or nothing to the surviving spouse.
Spousal Inheritance Rights
The amount of the surviving spouse's legal right share depends on two factors:
If you are the surviving spouse, you must be informed of this right and should apply for your legal right share as soon as possible. You may require that the family home be given to you in satisfaction of your legal right share, even if the home was left to another person under the will. If the family home is worth more than the legal right share, you will normally have to pay the difference into the deceased's estate. However, in cases of hardship, you may apply to the court to have the dwelling house given to you either without paying the difference or by paying such sum as the court thinks reasonable.
- whether or not there is a valid will
- whether or not the deceased spouse has any children.
- there is no will or the will is invalid, and
- the deceased spouse has no children or grandchildren.
- there is no valid will, and
- the deceased spouse has children or grandchildren.
- there is a valid will, and
- the deceased spouse has no children or grandchildren.
- there is a valid will, and
- the deceased spouse has children or grandchildren.
If you are the surviving spouse, you must be informed of this right and should apply for your legal right share as soon as possible. You may require that the family home be given to you in satisfaction of your legal right share, even if the home was left to another person under the will. If the family home is worth more than the legal right share, you will normally have to pay the difference into the deceased's estate. However, in cases of hardship, you may apply to the court to have the dwelling house given to you either without paying the difference or by paying such sum as the court thinks reasonable.
Children's Inheritance Rights
Both marital and non-marital children have equal rights to inherit from their parents. However, non-marital children may have the additional burden of having to prove paternity if it is disputed. Children's inheritance rights may be affected by their deceased parent's marital status.
The children (minor and adult) are entitled to the entire estate divided equally between them if:
But the children are only entitled to one-third of the estate divided equally between them if:
Children have no absolute right to inherit their parent's estate if the deceased parent has made a valid will. However, if a child considers that he/she has not been adequately provided for, he/she may make an application to court. The child need not be a minor or be dependent in order to use this procedure. The court has to decide if the parent has "failed in his moral duty to make proper provision for the child in accordance with his means". Each case is decided on its merits and the court looks at the situation from the point of view of a "prudent and just" parent. Anyone considering challenging a will on these grounds should get legal opinion before applying to the court.
The children (minor and adult) are entitled to the entire estate divided equally between them if:
- there is no will or the will is invalid, and
- the deceased parent is not married or his/her spouse is already dead.
But the children are only entitled to one-third of the estate divided equally between them if:
- there is no valid will or the will is invalid, and
- the deceased parent is married and is survived by his/her spouse.
Children have no absolute right to inherit their parent's estate if the deceased parent has made a valid will. However, if a child considers that he/she has not been adequately provided for, he/she may make an application to court. The child need not be a minor or be dependent in order to use this procedure. The court has to decide if the parent has "failed in his moral duty to make proper provision for the child in accordance with his means". Each case is decided on its merits and the court looks at the situation from the point of view of a "prudent and just" parent. Anyone considering challenging a will on these grounds should get legal opinion before applying to the court.