Under laws dating back to medieval times, if no claimants come forward, all bona vacantia either pass to the Treasury on behalf of the Crown or to the duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster, if the deaths of individuals who leave neither wills nor heirs occurred within their boundaries.

For some years now, businesses have talked about the objective of creating 'paper-free offices'. However, whilst the push to store documents digitally has cleared desks and freed up filing space in the office, at home things are generally somewhat different.

It's extremely important to make a will and ensure that the will you make is the most appropriate one for your circumstances.

Given the degree of fascination with tabloid media and gossip magazines have with the demise of celebrities, you could be forgiven if you believed that death was no longer the taboo subject of old.

The only way to ensure that your wishes are adhered to - whether you're married or not - is by having a will. It might not surprise anyone that I firmly recommend them but the countless difficulties experienced in cases on which I have advised where no will was present, make all too clear how the time spent putting in place a clear plan for your assets, is very well spent providing peace of mind for you and your family.

The business of dividing up someone's assets after they've died is never a pleasant one but is usually relatively straightforward.