The previous Intestacy Rules came into force on 1st October 2014, and at the time it was stated that the statutory amounts will be reviewed at least every five years and will rise in line with CPI.

Therefore, the current rules state that if there is a surviving spouse and children, the spouse will inherit £270,000 plus all the personal belongings plus half the remaining estate; this is an increase from £250,000.

This is of course an improvement, but does not change our advice – make a will!