I have no children
In short
If you have no children and die without a Will, the intestacy rules pass your estate to your spouse, then parents, siblings and more distant relatives — and to the Crown if none survive. Unmarried partners, friends and charities get nothing automatically. A Will is the only way to direct your estate to the people and causes you care about.
The situation
You have no children and want to decide where your estate goes.
What happens legally
With no children, the intestacy hierarchy reaches further out than people expect:
- A surviving spouse or civil partner inherits the whole estate where there are no children.
- With no spouse, the estate passes to parents, then siblings, then more distant blood relatives in a strict order.
- If no qualifying relatives exist, the estate passes to the Crown (bona vacantia).
- Unmarried partners, friends, and charities inherit nothing under intestacy — only a Will can benefit them.
The risks
- Your estate could pass to distant relatives you barely know, or to the Crown.
- An unmarried partner or close friend could be left with nothing.
- Causes you care about receive nothing without a specific gift.
Recommended actions
- Make a Will naming exactly who you want to benefit.
- Consider charitable gifts, which are also exempt from inheritance tax.
- Appoint executors, since there is no obvious next of kin to administer the estate.
- Keep your Will up to date as relationships change.
Sources
- Administration of Estates Act 1925 (intestacy) — legislation.gov.uk
- GOV.UK — Inheritance: rules when there's no Will
- GOV.UK — Bona vacantia
- Reviewed by
- ClearLegacy editorial team
- Last reviewed
- June 2026
- Next review
- December 2026
- Jurisdiction
- England & Wales
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