2 in 3 UK residents don’t have a Will — including 42% of over 55's

2 in 3 UK residents don’t have a Will — including 42% of over 55's

According to research from Macmillan Cancer Support in January 2018 reveals that nearly 2 in 3 UK residents (63%) are leaving their final wishes to chance by failing to prepare a Will. Worryingly, this includes 42% of people over the age of 55.

- 1.5 million people haven’t updated their Will since getting married — making it void,

- 1 in 5 (20%) admit to ‘Will blunders’ — such as still including an ex-partner

- Almost 1 in 10 Wills have not been updated with children or grandchildren

Without an up-to-date will, the law could supersede a person’s final wishes and leave treasured possessions, money, property, and even dependent children, with someone they may not have chosen.

The survey of over 2,000 adults unveiled a range of other ‘will blunders’, with 1 in 5 wills still including an ex-partner, not yet including children or grandchildren, not including a new relationship or including someone that they plan to remove. "As many as 1 in 10 people with wills (10%) admitted they were planning to update them to include children and grandchildren, but had not yet got around to itᶦᶦ.

This news comes despite official guidance recommending that people review their will every five years and after any major life changes, yet a quarter of wills have not been updated for at least five years.

If you still have questions, Speak to Langham Wills Ltd, your Will Writer & Estate Planning service provider for more information. Call us on 01473 487611 or email theteam@simplewillsonline.co.uk