Family admits 'there is no Gately will'

The family of recently deceased boy band star, Stephen Gately, have finally conceded that no will was left before his untimely death last month.

Gately’s civil partner, Andrew Cowles, was reportedly searching for the will with the help of a top London law firm, believed to be in possession of the document. But the search has proved fruitless, forcing the star’s family and loved ones to abandon the hunt.

The Boyzone singer died from a build-up of fluid on his lungs following a night on the town in Port d’Antratx on the Spanish Island, Majorca. Sources had suggested that Gately had left his last will and testament with an unknown solicitor but were unsure which firm was in control of the document.

“When you consider how high-profile the funeral was, covered by 24-hour rolling news channels, one would think that if a law firm did hold the will, they would have come forward by now,” A friend told Northern Ireland’s Belfast Telegraph.

“If there is no will, which is looking more and more likely as the days go by, then it makes everything very complicated legally.”

Sources claim Gately’s estate is worth an estimated £7.2m and under current intestacy laws, Gately’s partner will be entitled to up to £450,000 and personal possessions, with half of all remaining possessions split with the star’s family.

Jenny Bruce, a solicitor in Birkett Long’s Personal Tax Trusts and Probate Team, commented, "This high profile intestacy highlights once again the importance of not only making a will but ensuring that it is kept safe and that loved ones know where it is located. It is often a more complex and costly process to deal with an estate where there is no will and, for many, the intestacy rules do not reflect what they would want to happen to their assets on their death. For example, spouses can be left disadvantaged in favour of more remote family members, as in the case of Mr Gately's husband Andrew, or left out completely, as would have been the case for Andrew had they not entered into a civil partnership. In addition the rules of intestacy, by not allowing the entire estate to pass to Mr Gately's civil partner, created a substantial Inheritance Tax liability of approximately £1.35 million which would have been avoided had he left everything to his spouse under a will."