Does a spouse automatically inherit everything with a will? Private Wealth

If you pass away with a will, your estate will be distributed according to the wishes that have been set out in that will. If you have listed your spouse as the sole beneficiary, they will receive everything. However, if you have specified an amount to give to your spouse alongside other beneficiaries, that is what they will receive instead.

Most married couples choose to make mirror wills. Mirror wills are two identical wills usually stating that if one partner dies, the other inherits everything. They are separate legal documents, which can be changed by either party at any time.

If there is no will, the amount that a spouse will inherit is dictated by the rules of intestacy and, in the case of unmarried couples, the surviving partner is not provided for at all if there is no will.

If you have any more questions about Wills, please contact us today.