h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Nice little flow chart on here. Simple to follow; basically, if you've been careless enough to have mislaid your "parents" somewhere along the line, not got married recently and been declared unfit to breed, anything you might happen to leave behind if you take the opportunity of copping out goes to "the crown".

Nice one.

http://www.last-will-and-testament-group.co.uk/intestacy.htm

ps: Barclays bank are presumably laughing all the way home for having told you this. No doubt any insurance policy sold by them gets invalidated if you come over all suicidal after reading all this. I suppose they are banking on you making a will, always supposing you feel like it at the time & can pay for it.

I didn't catch this back when Terri posted it. I didn't have to read very far. Not that I've much in the way of an "estate", but I can't say I'd want my life insurance benefits or what's left of my personal belongings after my bills are paid to go to my parents. Especially as they likely think they're "entitled" to it.

Let's just say I've made arrangements at work to designate a more worthy beneficiary, and I'll have a will drawn up first chance I get.

On a slightly different note, is anyone else familiar with what's known as a "living will"? What's that all about? I've got myself on a donor list, and I'm pretty sure I've got myself a DNR order registered, but I'm not too sure about what this other thing is all about. It's never a bad idea to have one's legal affairs in order, you never know what might happen.

Don't anyone go thinking I'm being suicidal here or anything... just trying to be pragmatic, and prepared. I think my soul would suffer eternal torment if I knew my parents benefited from my death. I'd rather my "benefits" go to someone who didn't see them as such, if you know what I mean...?

As soon as I had a child, I made a will. It was important to me that he was cared for if I died, and if we both died together, then I know where my money is going.