Estate Risk Assessment
Answer nine questions and the tool will tell you exactly which UK estate-planning risks apply to your situation — with the specific consequence in plain English, and a link to the fix. No email required, nothing stored, no follow-up.
The tool maps your circumstances against eight common UK estate-planning risk categories: intestacy, outdated will, unmarried partner exposure, blended family, business assets, foreign assets, IHT exposure, and the £2m RNRB taper. You get a single risk score (Low / Medium / High / Critical) plus every specific risk identified with the consequence and the fix.
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Start your willWhat the tool checks
1. Intestacy risk
If you have no will, your estate is divided under the Administration of Estates Act 1925 — a strict hierarchy that doesn't care about stepchildren, unmarried partners, second marriages, or your actual wishes. See the intestacy flowchart →
2. Outdated will risk
A will written more than 5 years ago — especially if predating marriage, divorce, a new home, a new child, or the death of a previously named executor — often produces unintended results. Marriage automatically revokes a previous will under s.18 of the Wills Act 1837 unless made in contemplation of that marriage.
3. Unmarried partner risk
The single most consequential risk in UK estate planning. Cohabiting partners inherit nothing under intestacy and have no automatic spousal IHT exemption. See the married vs unmarried comparison →
4. Blended family risk
Where biological children, stepchildren or a second marriage are involved, intestacy can produce stark unfairness — for example, the second wife taking the statutory legacy and half the residue, leaving the first-marriage children with much less than intended.
5. Business succession risk
Business assets need specific clauses for succession, business property relief, and continuation. Without proper drafting, the business may have to be sold to settle the estate — even if the family wanted to keep it.
6. Foreign assets risk
UK wills generally cover UK assets only. Assets abroad may need a separate local will, or trigger conflict-of-laws issues, forced heirship rules (in many EU countries) or double taxation.
7. IHT exposure
Above £325,000 (single) or potentially £1m (married couple, home to descendants), every £1 attracts 40% IHT. Proper planning — gifts, charity legacies, trust structures, allowance claims — can save five or six figures. Use the IHT calculator →
8. Residence nil-rate band taper
Estates over £2m lose the £175,000 RNRB at £1 per £2 above the threshold. By £2.35m (single) or £2.7m (couple) the entire allowance is gone — costing up to £140,000 in extra IHT for couples.
What the tool does not check
The assessment is a directional risk indicator, not legal or tax advice. It doesn't model:
- Specific trust structures (interest in possession, discretionary, bare trusts)
- Business or agricultural property relief eligibility
- Non-UK domicile rules
- Year-by-year gift taper detail
- Pension lifetime allowance and inheritance interactions
- Contentious probate risk (Inheritance Act 1975 claims)
For estates above £1m, with business or foreign assets, or with complex family structures, please obtain professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the estate risk assessment check?
- It checks your circumstances against eight categories of estate-planning risk: intestacy, outdated wills, unmarried partner exposure, blended family complications, overseas assets, business succession, IHT exposure, and the £2m residence nil-rate band taper. It produces a risk score and lists every risk identified.
- Is my data stored?
- No. The tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, nothing is stored, and there is no sign-up.
- How accurate is the assessment?
- It applies current 2026/27 UK rules to your inputs to produce a risk indication. It is an educational tool, not legal or tax advice.
- Does the tool work for Scotland?
- Inheritance Tax findings apply UK-wide. Intestacy rules differ in Scotland — the tool is calibrated to England & Wales. The directional risks remain valid for Scotland but specific shares differ.
- What is the highest-impact single fix?
- For most users, writing a will. It overrides intestacy, names beneficiaries, appoints executors and guardians, and (with proper drafting) captures the £175,000 residence nil-rate band.
- How often should I reassess?
- After any major life event — marriage, divorce, birth of a child, property purchase, business sale, inheritance, move abroad — and at minimum every 3-5 years.
- What does each risk level mean?
- Low: minor exposure, addressable opportunistically. Medium: real risk of unintended outcomes, address within 3 months. High: significant financial or family-fairness exposure, address now. Critical: severe risk of unintended inheritance, eviction or six-figure IHT loss — address this week.
- Will the tool sell my data?
- There is nothing to sell. The tool collects no personal data, has no email field, and processes everything client-side. Standard site analytics apply to the page itself but not to your answers.
Related tools and guides
- UK Inheritance Tax calculator
- Do I need a will? (tool)
- Probate timeline estimator
- UK intestacy flowchart
- IHT thresholds diagram
- Married vs unmarried partner rights
Administration of Estates Act 1925 · legislation.gov.uk
Wills Act 1837, s.18 (revocation by marriage) · legislation.gov.uk
HMRC — Inheritance Tax rates and thresholds · gov.uk/inheritance-tax
HMRC — Residence nil-rate band guidance · gov.uk/guidance/inheritance-tax-residence-nil-rate-band
Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 · legislation.gov.uk
Last reviewed: 31 May 2026 by SL. Risk assessment tool only — not legal or tax advice.