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Valuable
Tip
4
Second marriage could put your children's inheritance at risk
People get divorced and a significant number of them marry again, some more than once.
“Around 40% of all weddings in the UK are second or subsequent marriages (and that
doesn't take into account cohabitations).” The Guardian
Divorce does NOT
invalidate your Will
Second Marriage DOES
invalidate your Will
If a couple gets divorced and a settlement
takes place then the ex-spouse is no
longer deemed a beneficiary of the other
spouse's Will (unless the other spouse still
wants them to be). The Will is still valid in
respect to all other named beneficiaries
which are often their children.
A divorced spouse may well choose to get
married again. In many cases, they will
bring children and assets from the first
marriage. In a second marriage, this often
results in a "blended family". This second
Marriage now automatically invalidates
any prior Wills.
How and why YOUR children's inheritance
can be at risk in a second marriage
If there’s no new Will, ultimately, the new second spouse will inherit all the "goods and
chattels" and the first £322,000 of the estate... the children receive part of whatever is left.
If there is a basic Will. Typically, when the first spouse dies the surviving spouse inherits
everything. When the second spouse dies, children inherit as per the wishes of each spouse.
However, if the surviving spouse decided to change his/her Will, (perhaps as a result of
a falling out with their stepchildren), the surviving spouse could end up leaving everything
to THEIR own children which means YOUR children could end up with little or nothing.
Second marriage can be a wonderful experience for many, but just
assuming your children will inherit can leave them at risk of loss
www.secureinheritance.co.uk
