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Northern Ireland

If the intestate dies leaving:

  1. Spouse or civil partner, but no issue, parent(s), brother(s) or sister(s), nephew(s) or niece(s)
    Spouse or civil partner takes everything absolutely.

  2. Spouse or civil partner and issue
    • Spouse or civil partner takes personal chattels (car, furniture, pictures, clothing, jewellery, etc). Plus £125,000 absolutely. Plus one-half of the residue (ie balance) where only one child survives and one-third of the residue where more than one child survives. If a child of the intestate predeceases him or her leaving children who survive him or her, the surviving spouse or civil partner takes the same share as if the child had survived.
    • Issue takes one-half or two-thirds of the residue depending on whether one child or more than one child survives the intestate.

  3. Spouse or civil partner, no issue but parent(s) or brother(s) or sister(s) or nephew(s) or niece(s)
    • Spouse or civil partner takes personal chattels. Plus £200,000 absolutely. Plus one-half of the residue absolutely.
    • Parent(s), failing a parent then brothers and sisters (nephews and nieces step into their parent’s shoes if the latter is dead), take one-half of the residue.

  4. No spouse or civil partner
    Everything is taken by:

    Issue; but if none:
    Parents; but if none:
    Brothers and sisters (nephews and nieces step into their parent’s shoes); but if none:
    Next of kin; but if none:
    The Crown.
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