Making a will when you have no children

Who inherits if you have no children and no will?

The intestacy rules in section 46 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925 decide, in this order:

1. A husband, wife or civil partner inherits everything if you leave no children or other descendants, provided they survive you by 28 days.
2. Parents, in equal shares, if there is no spouse or civil partner.
3. Brothers and sisters of the whole blood; the children of one who died before you take that share.
4. Half-brothers and half-sisters, on the same basis.
5. Grandparents, in equal shares.
6. Aunts and uncles of the whole blood, then of the half blood, or their children.
7. The Crown, if nobody in these groups survives you.

Who gets nothing if you die without a will?

Anyone not on that list. An unmarried partner inherits nothing, however long you lived together, and so do stepchildren you did not adopt, friends, godchildren, carers and charities. Some people who depended on you financially can ask a court for provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, but that is a claim, not an entitlement. See can stepchildren inherit?

What can a will do if you have no children?

• Choose your beneficiaries: a partner, friends, nieces and nephews or charities, as fixed gifts or shares of what is left.
• Name back-up beneficiaries in case someone dies before you.
• Support charities: gifts to charity are free of inheritance tax; see leaving money to charity in your will.
• Provide for pets: make a care plan for your pets with someone willing to help, and consider a cash gift for upkeep.
• Name executors you trust to deal with the estate.

How does inheritance tax work without children?

The main allowance is the £325,000 threshold, with tax at 40% on the value above it. The extra residence allowance of up to £175,000 applies only to a home left to children, stepchildren or grandchildren, so a home left to nieces, nephews or friends does not qualify. Everything left to a husband, wife or civil partner who lives permanently in the UK is exempt, as are gifts to charity, and leaving 10% or more of the net estate to charity can reduce the rate on some of the rest to 36%.

When do you need a solicitor rather than an online will?

SwiftWill is a will-writing service, not a law firm. Its interview directs you to a solicitor if, for example:

• your estate is likely to be above the inheritance tax thresholds and you want to plan around the tax, or you need a trust;
• you share a property with someone who is not your husband, wife or civil partner, which GOV.UK lists as a reason to get advice;
• you want to provide for someone who cannot look after themselves;
• you own a business or property abroad; or
• you expect relatives left out of your will to dispute it, or plan to leave out someone who depended on you.

Do I need a solicitor for a will? explains where the line sits.

How do you make a will if you have no children?

Decide who you want to inherit, who should be your executors and who should inherit if your first choices die before you. If your wishes are straightforward, you can make your will with SwiftWill for £35. Then print it and sign it in front of two independent witnesses who are present at the same time, as section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 requires; see how to sign a will.

Sources

• Administration of Estates Act 1925, section 46
• Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, section 1
• GOV.UK: How Inheritance Tax works
• GOV.UK: Check if you can get an additional Inheritance Tax threshold

Sources checked 24 September 2026.