Estate of Deceased Persons Act 2011
On the 12 July 2011 the Estates of Deceased Persons (Forfeiture Rule and Law of Succession) Act 2011 received Royal Assent. A date for its enforcement has yet to be set.
The Act amends the law of succession. If a person disclaims an inheritance or is disqualified from receiving an inheritance, the rights of that person’s descendants will now be maintained. A person may be disqualified from receiving an inheritance under the forfeiture rule by trying to gain benefit by unlawfully killing another. The Act also amends the current law so that children of a minor will be able to inherit their parent’s interest in an intestate’s estate where the parent died before the age of 18 without having married or formed a civil partnership.
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