Inheritance Passed On?

[Myriad2112]

If someone is left some money in a will but dies before they get the chance to recieve it would it then be passed onto the next of kin or would it be divided amongst the other beneficiaries? ... and no I'm not planning on murdering my wife :-)

[EcclesCake]

I'm not entirely sure but if the they are in receipt of a bequest it would form part of their estate and distributed in accordance with their will.

[bednobs]

it would depend on when the beneficiary died in relation to the will maker

[murraymints]

..if a beneficiary predeceased the Will maker unless it states ....and their successors in event of predeceacement....it will go back into the pool for other nominated beneficiaries..

[Peter Pedant]

It depends on the terms of the will

which is one good reason to have it drawn up professionally


If there is a will and it is left flapping in the breeze I think I will wait until the will writer answers ! There is one here

[carrot99]

On my parents' wills it says that if I (an only child) don't live for 28 days after them the dosh then goes to my daughters. So presumably if I live over 28 days and then die the money goes to the cats' home I'm leaving my worldly goods to if they don't start treating me as I should like to be treated.

[ubasses]

If they predecease you and they are your decendants or decendants of your parents the inheritence passes to their children. Any one else and the money goes back into the residuary.

[joggerjayne]

"It depends on the terms of the Will" ...

... is the correct answer.

But, in the absence of a "per stripes" clause, if the beneficiary is dead, the gift fails.

[Peter Pedant]

OK my second opinion
It depends on the terms of the will.

However watch Heir Hunters currently running.
Their files are full of dead people who have left money to other dead people
and it goes to whoever the will if it exists directed OR rules of intestacy if there is no will

not the next of kin - sorry I didnt read the q eeek !

[FredPuli43]

I like the typo: 'per stripes' clause. If he doesn't collect he has a whip round?

[Buenchico]

>>>If someone is left some money in a will but dies before they get the chance to recieve it

It's not entirely clear whether you're referring to a beneficiary of a will dying before the testator does, or whether you're referring to the testator dying first and the beneficiary dying shortly afterwards (before they've received their share of the estate).

Second one first ('cos it's easiest):
If the beneficiary dies while waiting to receive their inheritance then that inheritance still forms part of the beneficiary's estate (and is then distributed in accordance with the terms of their own will, or the intestacy laws, as appropriate).

Now the trickier one:
A well-drafted will should state what should happen if a named beneficiary dies before the testator. (The money could be given to someone else entirely, given to a relative of the beneficiary, 'added to the pot' for the surviving beneficiaries, or anything else that the testator desires).

If the will does not specify what should happen if a beneficiary pre-deceases the testator, then what will happen depends upon whether or not the intended beneficiary was a son or daughter of the testator. If so, the gift under the will is shared equally between their children, if any. (under certain circumstances, grandchildren can also inherit here).

Otherwise, any specific legacies or bequests ('£1000' or 'my diamond brooch') are added to the pool (if any) to be shared out among other beneficiaries. Anything which isn't covered under the terms of the will is treated as creating a partial intestacy, with the normal intestacy rules applying.

[Barmaid]

It would be helpful if you can provide the exact clause (obfuscating names of course) for a definitive view because as has been repeated, the terms of the Will are paramount. There are numerous potential variations.

[Barmaid]

Actually, scratch my answer. What he says ^^^ ie Chris.

[joggerjayne]

lol ... iPads are obviously not comfortable with "per stirpes"

[Myriad2112]

Thanks everyone, most helpful. Just to clear up any mis understanding, my wife has been left some money in a will which willl be paid upon the sale of an estate. We were wondering what would happen to it if she got run over by a bus tomorrow.

[tonywiltshire]

In the sad event of your wife being killed by a bus, or any other cause it will depend on any will she may have left or in the absence of a will in accordance with the laws of intestacy.