You can leave all your money to your cat, if you want to, even if you have a wife and six kids and they're all disabled. The wills of wealthy people are frequently contested but rarely does it work out in favor of the "injured" party. The law takes the wishes of the deceased seriously. If the man had wanted to leave all his money to his girlfriend, he could easily have done so. He didn't. Tough luck. She won't get his social security, either. If you are with someone because you expect to inherit, you better make sure that person has ensured that you do. Otherwise, find yourself another guy with a fat wallet and a bad cough.