Unfortunately, common law husband/wife is not a legal relationship recognised under English and Welsh law, nor is a cohabiting partner recognised by the rules in inheritance - no matter how long you have been together. Therefore, if you were to die without a Will, you partner would not receive anything from your estate and it would be distributed in accordance with the rules on intestacy. This can mean that your estate could go to distant relatives, to family members you’ve had disagreements with and in the worst-case scenario, could end up being passed to the Crown, leaving nothing for your partner.
