The one document everyone needs and nobody gets round to
Making a will is the ultimate 'I'll get to it' job. Then you don't — and the law makes your decisions for you, badly.
By Robert Festenstein, Head of Legal
Updated 12 June 2026
6 min read
The short version
- A will decides who inherits, who sorts out your estate, and who looks after your children. Nothing else does that for you.
- No will means the intestacy rules apply — and they can leave an unmarried partner with nothing.
- A business owner's will has to line up with the shareholder agreement, or the two can contradict each other.
- Review it after any big life change — marriage, divorce, children, selling the business.
Why it matters
A will is how you decide what happens to everything you own, and everyone you're responsible for, after you're gone. It names who inherits, appoints the executors who'll actually sort it all out, and — if you've got young children — lets you choose their guardians. Without one, those decisions get made by rules instead of by you.
What happens if you don't
Die without a valid will and the intestacy rules take over. They follow a rigid order that catches almost everyone out. An unmarried partner inherits nothing automatically — doesn't matter if you were together thirty years. A married spouse may have to share with the children. Step-children aren't recognised at all. The result is usually the wrong people inheriting, an avoidable inheritance tax bill, and painful delay for the family at the worst possible moment.
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The business owner's catch
If you own a business, your will has a second job — succession. Your shares need to pass the way you intend, and that only works if your will and your shareholder agreement say the same thing. I see the trap all the time: a will leaves the shares to a spouse, while the shareholder agreement says they must be offered to the co-owners first. The two contradict each other, and the family walks straight into a dispute. Get them aligned and business assets can attract valuable tax reliefs too — but only if the will's drafted to keep them.
Don't set and forget
A will is a snapshot of your life on the day you sign it. Marriage can wipe out an earlier will entirely. Divorce, new children, a house move, a business sale — all of them change the picture. Look at it again after any big life event, and at least every few years. An out-of-date will can do as much damage as none at all.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I die without a will in the UK?
The intestacy rules decide who inherits, in a fixed legal order. An unmarried partner gets nothing automatically, a spouse may have to share with children, and step-children aren't recognised. It often means the wrong people inherit, plus avoidable tax and delay.
Does getting married change my will?
Yes — marriage generally revokes an existing will, unless it was specifically made in contemplation of that marriage. It's a classic trap: people marry assuming their old will still stands, when in fact they've become intestate. Review it around any marriage.
Why do business owners need a special kind of will?
Because it has to work with the shareholder or partnership agreement, and preserve the tax reliefs that can apply to business assets. If the will and the business agreement contradict each other, the family can end up in a dispute — so the two have to line up.
Sources & further reading
This article is general information, not legal advice. The law changes and depends on your circumstances — always take advice on your specific situation before acting. Last reviewed 12 June 2026. Buzz Solicitors is a trading name of AD Solicitors Limited, a recognised body regulated by the SRA (no. 8011228).
A solicitor with more than two decades' experience in commercial law, dispute resolution, insolvency and judicial review. Robert acts for businesses, directors and individuals on the matters that carry real consequence — and leads Buzz Solicitors.
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