When their elderly cousin George died aged 85 without a will in place, brothers Brian and Dennis were left in charge of handling the sale of his derelict London home. If you die without a valid will , the rules of intestacy come into place. This essentially prioritises close family members, such as your partner, if you are legally married or in a civil partnership, and children, followed by parents, siblings, and so on. As their cousin George did not have a partner when he died, or children,