I was recently on a touring holiday in the UK with my family and had the unusual "pleasure" of getting up late and switching on the hotel room television to watch some daytime television. (Yes, I knew there was a very good reason to go to work!).
Anyway, I was introduced to the joys of Heir Hunters on the BBC, a programme that follows genealogists searching for heirs of people who have died intestate with no family members immediately apparent.
Whilst the individual life stories within the programme certainly appeal on a human interest level, the fundamental point about each story was that in order to save an intestate's estates going to the government, the geneologists were searching for what were at best long lost relatives of the intestate and more often than not distant relatives of whom the deceased knew nothing and/or had no interest during their lives.
Making a Will, of course, means that you can clearly set out those relatives who you wish to benefit and if you do not wish to benefit any relatives, you can direct that your estate is left to friends or Charities. The key point is that you are in charge and the distributuion of your estate will not be left to the vagaries of the intestacy laws.
This is particularly important where you are a single person or where you are married but have no children of your own.
As always, my advice is to find a solicitor who specialises in Will-writing to advise you.
