WRITING A WILL - A COMPLETE GUIDE

The order of inheritance

The order of inheritance of an estate where the deceased has died intestate is as follows:

1.    spouse;

2.   children or if they are deceased, their issue;

3.    parents;

4.    brothers and sisters of the 'whole blood' or, if deceased, their issue (such issue will divide their deceased parent's share between them);

5.    brothers and sisters of the 'half blood' (having one common parent with the deceased) or, if deceased, their issue;

6.    grandparents;

7.    uncles and aunts of the 'whole blood' or, if deceased, their issue;

8.   uncles and aunts of the 'half blood' or, if deceased, their issue;

9.    and if there are none of the above, then the estate goes to the Crown.

Often you will see a notice in the national or local papers asking for the relatives of the deceased to contact a firm of solicitors. This usually means that the administrators are trying to trace relatives of the deceased. There is a time stipulation, however. A person cannot turn up some four years after the advertisement to claim his or her inheritance; by then it will be too late, though it is wise for an administrator to take out some form of indemnity cover if there are known beneficiaries who cannot as yet be traced.

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