Section 2 of the act extended all authority that a
personal representative had with respect to
chattels real (such as
fixtures) to cover any matter dealing with
real estate. Section 45 of the act abolished the following, respect to the property of any estate (excepting
entailed interests): • all existing rules of descent (whether arising from the common law, custom,
gavelkind,
Borough English or otherwise) •
tenancy by the curtesy and any other estate a husband may have where his wife dies intestate •
dower,
freebench and any other estate a wife may have where her husband dies intestate •
escheat to the Crown, the
Duchy of Lancaster, the
Duchy of Cornwall, or to a
mesne lord Section 46 of the act replaced the rules governing the distribution of intestate estates with a single statutory framework.
Repealed enactments Section 56 of the act repealed 47 enactments, listed in the second schedule to the act. However, repeals listed in part I of the second schedule would not affect cases where the death occurred before the commencement of the act, whereas the repeals listed in part II would apply generally.
Short title, commencement and extent Section 58(1) of the act provided that the act may be cited as the "Administration of Estates Act, 1925". Section 58(2) of the act provided that the act would come into force on 1 January 1926. Section 58(3) of the act provided that the act extended to
England and Wales only. == Later significant amendments ==