Do I Need to Make a New Will Following a Divorce?

Unlike marriage, divorce does not automatically invalidate your Will.  Instead, your Will remains valid but will be read as though your ex spouse has predeceased you.   

This could have serious implications on your estate, especially in the event that your Will does not include any substitutionary provisions to cover the event of spouse death and could result in partial or full intestacy.

The Intestacy Rules have a strict order in which your estate would pass:

This order of benefit is inflexible and can unfortunately mean that the people who you would have wished to benefit from your estate may be overlooked or receive a lesser provision than you would like.

It is advisable to review your Will following divorce to ensure that it is still appropriate for your personal and financial circumstances and makes provision for those who are important to you.