A property is often the largest asset a person owns, so how it is held and who inherits it should be deliberate. The co ownership form chosen on the transfer, joint tenancy or tenancy in common, interacts directly with the will, because a joint tenancy passes by survivorship outside the will while a tenancy in common share passes under it.
For blended families the risk is concrete. If joint tenants die together, a presumption about the order of survival can result in the children of one partner inheriting everything and the children of the other inheriting nothing, which is rarely intended.
For these reasons, making or reviewing a will and powers of attorney is a natural part of a purchase, and is worth doing for any buyer who does not already have them in place.
This is the kind of matter CMK Legal's wills and estates team handles.
Joint tenancy and tenancy in common lead to very different outcomes on death, and the default may not suit your family. [Our wills and estates team](/wills-estates) can prepare or review a will and powers of attorney alongside the purchase.
Law referenced: Wills Act 1997; Powers of Attorney Act 2014; Administration and Probate Act 1958.