If there is a will naming the wife as the sole beneficiary, she inherits everything; if she is named as a partial beneficiary, she will receive only that specifically left to her in the document.
Does a wife get everything when her husband dies in the UK?
If a married couple do not have children together and there is no will (intestacy rules), the wife will automatically inherit everything. If there are children, grandchildren or other descendants, the spouse receives personal belongings, the first £322,000 from the estate and half of what remains thereafter.
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