Wedding season is well and truly underway. Brides and Grooms up and down the country are finalising table plans, sorting out last minute fittings and impatiently counting down the days to their honeymoons. In the run up to the big day it’s unlikely that preparing a Will comes top of the list. However, it is in fact crucially important to consider.
It’s important for the Bride and Groom to know that not only will their wedding day (hopefully) be the best day of their lives, but it will also be the last day that any pre-existing Will is legally valid. This is because under Section 18 of the Wills Act 1837, marriage revokes a Will. Similarly, entering into a civil partnership revokes a Will under section 18B of the Wills Act 1837. Therefore a person who marries and doesn’t subsequently update their Will will be deemed to have died without a Will, or ‘intestate’.
The only exception to this is where a Will contains a ‘contemplation of marriage’ clause. It is therefore important for couples who have either married or entered into a civil partnership without subsequently updating their Wills and couples who are considering taking the next step in their relationships, to review their wills. Our experts in our Private Client Department can assist with this.
If you would like to discuss your situation in a free initial consultation – contact the office to arrange an appointment with a member of our Will-Drafting and Later-Life Planning Team.
Sorry, comments are closed for this post.