Unfortunately, many people die without making a Will in the belief that their possessions will automatically pass to their spouse or partner. Where there is no Will (Intestacy) a set of rules is applied to the Estate where the surviving spouse might only receive part of it. In the case of couples who are not married or registered civil partners the survivor is not entitled to anything.
The death of a loved one is always distressing and having to cope with Intestacy is an additional burden that can be easily avoided by making a Will. Getting the necessary papers to deal with the deceased persons assets becomes more complicated, time consuming and costly where there is no Will.
Making a Will provides the opportunity of appointing the people who are going to look after your assets after death, the Executors, and more importantly who is going to benefit from these assets.
It also allows for the nomination of Guardians where children under 18 are involved. You do not have to think of everything that might happen during of your lifetime, as the Will can easily be changed as your circumstances change.
In reality there are very few circumstances where not making a Will is a viable option.