A recent study undertaken by the mutual insurance company Royal London revealed that 54% of the UK adult population does not have a valid will.

The study also revealed that 59% of parents either don’t have a will or have an out of date will. This is of real concern because most parents would want to have a say over who would bring their children up if the worst were to happen. A third of those without a will said that if they became ill, this would motivate them to make a will.

Many people that were interviewed as a part of the study were unaware of that fact that marriage can invalidate a will that was previously made.

Out of the adults without a will, a staggering 5.4 million of them state that they would not know where to start if they were to write a will.  

Failure to make a will can be catastrophic for the family members that have been left behind and in many cases it can result in inheritance disputes and upset and strife amongst family members.

Making a will isn’t necessarily time consuming, or costly. Many solicitors and other legal professionals offer reasonable rates for will drafting and storage.

If you would like further information about making a will, avoiding a will dispute or a contentious probate claim, please call 01384 410410 and ask to speak to Liam Owen or Susan Ford. Alternatively, you can e-mail us at contentiousprobate@georgegreen.co.uk providing a brief summary of the issues you wish to discuss with us, along with your contact details and we will contact you if we think we may be able to help.