If you die intestate (without a will) the Law leaves joint assets to the surviving joint owner and the first £270,000 of your individually owned assets to your spouse, plus half the remainder, with the other half of the remainder passing in equal shares to your children.
If you are not married or in a registered civil partnership the Law leaves your assets to your children or, in the event you have no children, to your parents. This means that if you have lived with your partner for many years and have chosen not to marry, and have no will, you have no legal right to inherit their assets. In the worst case scenarios where relatives cannot be traced, your assets will be taken by the Crown.
This may not be what you would have wished for. Why leave it to chance – making a will give you peace of mind that your assets pass to your chosen beneficiaries.