Time to get rid of a British feudal system that allows royals to rob the dead
Letters: Readers react to a Guardian investigation into bona vacantia, whereby the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall can collect the estates of the deceased in certain circumstances
May 2022
Top 10s
Top 10 novels about inheritance
From Dickens and Du Maurier to Henry James and Shirley Jackson, where there’s a will, there are generally the makings of a great story …
March 2021
Writing a will is a milestone of adulthood – and now I can threaten to cut people out of mine
Emma Beddington
Even more than folding fitted sheets or bleeding the radiators, making a will feels like the most grown-up of tasks, writes Guardian columnist Emma Beddington
September 2020
Divorce and will-writing demand during Covid-19 lockdown boost Co-op profits
Divorce inquiries surged by 300% and will-writing demand rose by 69% during pandemic, says mutual
March 2020
Ask the experts: homebuying
My partner is moving in and we're planning to share our mortgage
I’m also wondering how to make sure my children are going to be OK if I should die
August 2019
Stepsister wins legal battle over which parent died first
Entitlement to co-owned estate depended on sequence of John and Marjorie Scarle’s deaths
June 2019
What happens to our online identities when we die?
By 2100 there could be 4.9bn dead users on Facebook. So who controls our digital legacy after we have gone? As Black Mirror returns, we delve into the issue
February 2019
Ask the experts: homebuying
I own my home with my parents – what happens to it when they die?
Neither of my parents have a will, so does ownership of the house automatically come to me?
June 2018
The twist in the tale of my parents’ malicious will
My sister and I escaped our abusive parents. But then she died and their vindictive influence returned…
October 2017
Ask the experts: homebuying
Can our daughter's partner benefit from our joint will?
We’re worried that after we die he may be entitled to half our property
September 2017
No-one likes to talk about death and money - even in a good cause
Remembering a charity in a will is an opportunity to support causes they care about into the future. Let’s not fight shy of a difficult conversation
August 2017
Ask the experts: homebuying
Should we buy as joint tenants or tenants in common?
My partner has a child from a previous relationship and I worry it will affect future thinking
April 2017
There’s no dodging death – but inheritance tax relief could save £1m
The new residence nil-rate band (RNRB) is for homes bequeathed to descendants
March 2017
Ask the experts: homebuying
As tenants in common, could we specify that our children inherit our property?
My husband and I would like to sever our joint tenancy in order to stipulate in our wills who gets our share when one of us dies
Money Talks
London now 'cheaper to live than New York and Tokyo', plus Viagogo snubs MPs
Also, average house costs 7.6 times annual salary, part-time workers face five-fold NICs increase and for sale: Pierre Cardin’s bubble palace
How a £1 million inheritance slipped from our family’s grasp
Challenging a will is never easy, whether the money has been left to an animal charity or a private school. A court ruling this week has made it even more of an uphill struggle
November 2016
Writing a will isn’t a job you’ll relish, but it is a matter of life and death
If you don’t make one, you can be sure of bequeathing your loved ones a real mess. Dying ‘intestate’ can trigger arguments and even split families apart
September 2016
Funeral costs can see you digging deep, but small directors ease the pain
Bereaved families pay about £3,700 for a basic cremation or burial – are there cheaper options? Here’s an insider’s guide
November 2015
Make a will this month – and donate to charity
Will Aid solicitors are writing basic wills without charging their usual fee: instead, clients are invited to make a voluntary donation
September 2015
IMHO ...
I need to make a will but should I discriminate between my two children?
One is sensible – but the other would spend the inheritance on drugs
