New intestacy laws come into effect

Among the changes, which are outlined in the new Inheritance and Trustees' Powers Act, are that, when someone who has no children dies intestate, their whole estate will pass to their spouse. Previously, a complex set of criteria were used which, in some cases, allocated parts of a deceased's estate to several family members. Additionally, when someone dies intestate and they do have children, the way their estate is split between their spouse and children has also been simplified. The government has also closed a loophole to make sure children who are adopted don't lose their inhe...