Inheritance law shake-up proposed

Apr 15 2009

The spouses of people who die without leaving a will will be given greater rights under a "radical" shake-up of inheritance laws put forward by legal experts.

The Scottish Law Commission (SLC) recommends that where a person dies with no will, their surviving spouse or civil partner should inherit the entire estate, provided its value is less than £300,000.

The proposed changes also offer spouses and dependent children greater protection against being disinherited, while co-habiting partners will see their rights to make a claim on an estate extended.