Home / Blended families – understanding the risks around Wills and inheritance
22nd May 2026
Richard Wilson, Senior Associate
Family life in Britain looks very different today from the way it did in the past. Remarriage, long-term cohabitation, stepchildren and children from previous relationships – often described as ‘blended families’ – are commonplace. Yet many people are still unprepared for the challenges these modern family arrangements can create when someone dies. New research published by Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) suggests the consequences are starting to tell.
STEP surveyed over 500 professionals involved in family wealth and succession planning. Four out of ten respondents reported a rise in disputes within blended families over the past year alone. Seven out of ten identified the growing complexity of modern family structures as the single biggest driver of inheritance conflict they encounter. One of the most common tensions observed is that between a surviving spouse/step-parent and children from a previous relationship.
The problem often isn’t bad intentions. It’s assumptions. When people are writing their Will or planning their estate, they assume their wishes are understood, that the law will do the right thing, or that their families can be trusted to work it out themselves. Unfortunately, none of these are assumptions are reliable.
A co-habitation partner, regardless of how long the relationship lasted, has no automatic right to inherit anything. Step-children are not recognised under the rules that apply when someone dies without a Will and determines how they estate is to pass; they can be completely overlooked unless the Will says otherwise. Many people don’t understand that remarrying automatically cancels an existing Will, potentially leaving an estate to be divided in ways that no one intended. Any of these situations can result in someone feeling excluded or unfairly treated and gives rise to the potential for dispute.
Property ownership adds another layer of complexity. Many couples own their homes jointly, meaning that it passes to the survivor regardless of what their Will says. In a blended family, this can mean children from earlier relationships are cut out of a significant asset without it being anyone’s intended outcome.
When disputes do arise, early advice can make a significant difference, particularly where someone feels they have been unfairly overlooked or left without proper provision.
Our private wealth disputes team work with clients to assess the strength of a claim, explain the options available and, where possible, help resolve matters through negotiation without the need for contested court proceedings, while handling what are often highly sensitive family issues with care and discretion.
The good news is that with the right planning, many of these risks are manageable. A properly drafted Will is always the starting point, but for blended families it often needs to go further, using structures such as trusts to ensure that a surviving partner is provided for during their lifetime, while also protecting children from earlier relationships.
Our private client team advises individuals and families on Wills, trusts and estate planning, and work closely with our family law team where the dynamics of a relationship require a joined-up approach.
If your family circumstances have changed, or if you have simply never got around to putting proper arrangements in place, it is worth having a conversation sooner rather than later. To get in touch with our team, please contact [email protected].