UK Intestacy Calculator
Find out who inherits your estate under the intestacy rules for England and Wales if you die without a valid will. Free, instant, no sign-up required.
If you die without a valid will, you don't get to decide who inherits — a fixed statutory formula does, in an order set by law. It rarely matches what people actually want.
The statutory order of inheritance
The intestacy rules for England and Wales follow a strict order. The first category with a living person in it inherits — the calculator above works through this same order:
| Situation | Who inherits |
|---|---|
| Spouse/civil partner, no children | Spouse/civil partner inherits everything |
| Spouse/civil partner and children | Spouse/civil partner gets the first £322,000 plus belongings, then half the remainder; children share the other half |
| Children, no spouse/civil partner | Children inherit everything, in equal shares |
| No spouse/civil partner or children | Parents → siblings → half-siblings → grandparents → aunts/uncles → half-aunts/half-uncles → the Crown |
What this calculator doesn't cover
- Jointly owned assets — property held as joint tenants or joint bank accounts usually pass automatically to the survivor, outside the intestacy rules and outside your estate for this purpose.
- Representation — if someone in the inheriting category has already died, their own children usually inherit their share instead. This calculator identifies the category, not that substitution.
- Full vs half blood relatives inheriting together — where a category has both, the calculator treats it as a single group; in practice full-blood relatives in a category are considered before half-blood relatives in the same generation.
Frequently asked questions
Does my unmarried partner inherit anything if I die without a will?
No. Cohabiting partners have no automatic right to inherit under the intestacy rules for England and Wales, no matter how long you lived together or whether you have children together. A will is the only way to provide for an unmarried partner.
What counts as my "estate" for this calculator?
Broadly, everything you own in your sole name at death — property, savings, investments and belongings — minus debts and funeral costs. Assets held jointly with someone else, such as a joint bank account or a property owned as joint tenants, usually pass automatically to the surviving joint owner outside the intestacy rules entirely.
Do stepchildren inherit under intestacy?
No, not unless they were legally adopted by you. "Children" under the intestacy rules means biological and legally adopted children only.
What if a child or relative who would inherit has already died?
Their own children usually inherit their share instead — this calculator gives you the category that inherits, but doesn't work out this kind of substitution for you.
Can these results be challenged?
In limited circumstances, someone who was financially dependent on you — such as an unmarried partner or an unadopted stepchild — may be able to bring a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. This involves court proceedings, cost and uncertainty that a will avoids.
Don't leave it to a formula
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