Who should you leave your estate to.

When I was on my own, I made a will to leave everything to dog charities.

I also made a living will, just in case, I didn't want any family coming out of the woodwork and claiming anything.

Do make a Will....if you consider what might happen to your estate when you die, and the family rifts it causes, it is well worth paying a Solicitor to ensure you leave what you want to who you want ! BUT as I have said before, please put our beneficiaries details, date of birth, last known address in full in your Will as, in the case of my late m-I-l she simply said 'to my children in equal parts'....but then named one as Executor,,,who promptly cut out two of his siblings as she did not NAME them all …..there was nothing monetary bless her, but some small items of sentimental value...….some Charities offer free Will making services if you are leaving them a donation

I’ve given this a bit of thought and, if I survive my husband, I should like to leave my money to the textiles department of my local college. I would love for a future teenager to have the chance to have the career they love.
I have no children....a number of nieces and nephews and a goddaughter....they have their own parents to see to them.

PS: I have done probate on both a DIY will and one drawn up by a lawyer. Both left the entire estate to living children. so not complex.
But the one drawn up by the lawyer was so out-of-date with executors who had died,problems with addresses etc. that the DIY one (kept up to date at little cost) was much easier!

You also need to be aware of any changes in circumstances that could affect your will. I know of a couple of cases where a will was made in favour of relative who then predeceased them, but they did not update their wills.

Everyone should make a will. End of.

In England and Wales, you can leave your estate to whoever you like, there is no obligation to include any relatives / natural heirs.
In other parts of Europe, and Scotland, you cannot disinherit heirs completely, the advice is to leave a token amount and an explanatory letter. Some English lawyers think this useful, as it avoids 'challenges' that can be expensive even if futile.
Although DIY wills get a bad press, I think them quite sensible if your estate is simple. I have had 4 wills during my lifetime: 2 were DIY, done before I had children, then again when they were adults. When I had young children, and now grandchildren and their parents to consider, I have paid a lawyer to do more complex wills.

My husband's aunt was going to leave her estate to her 2 nephews and kept telling us that she had made a will to that effect. When Sil went to visit aunt, she was told by aunts husband that she had passed. None of her family had been told. Aunt had always told us that she had a number of secret accounts, as she did not trust her husband. None of the accounts or her will were ever found. When her husband passed, Heir Hunters found a brother no one had ever heard of, who inherited everything. Husband had always told everybody he was an orphan with no family. Make a will and name an executer you trust.

A gay friend of mine only has one bro and they do not get on, so because he does not want this bro trying to claim from his estate, which I think is quite considerable, he has left him £1000 and has stated in his will that this is the only thing he should get. one way of doing it I guess.

Sparkling, I'm afraid that is the way it is.
If the relative left no will, the remaining family members will be sought out to receive any estate that is left.
In the event that there are no relatives, I believe that any estate will be taken by the state.

So the lesson to be learned is, Make a Will.

Not long ago we were contacted by something like Heir Hunters, saying that a distant cousin of DH had died intestate.
All cousins were eventually traced and received a small amount from his estate.
It was unexpected, as DH had had no knowledge of this person
since childhood.
Quite sad.