• March 29, 2024
 More than half of British adults are following in Aretha’s footsteps and have no Will, survey reveals

More than half of British adults are following in Aretha’s footsteps and have no Will, survey reveals

More than half of British adults are following in the footsteps of the late music legends Aretha Franklin and Prince in having made no Will, a new survey has revealed.

The study, carried out by Will Aid, the charity will-writing campaign that takes place every November, found that 53% of adults have not prepared this vital piece of paperwork, up from 51% in 2017.

And some regions are far worse than others.

In Northern Ireland, more than 74% of those questioned admitted they had no Will, revealing a dramatic increase of 10% since 2017’s poll.

In Wales, 55% of adults have not prepared this vital piece of paperwork, up from 41% in 2017.

In England, 58% of people in the North East and 57% in the North West had not got around to it either.

In fact, only three of the thirteen regions have scored better than 2017’s poll results for having this piece of paperwork in order.

Yorkshire is the most organised region with just 43% of people have no Will.

Peter de Vena Franks, campaign director for Will Aid, said:

“Every year we carry out a poll to work out how many Britons have no Will in place and the figures are always surprising.

“To see that the percentage of people without a Will increased this year is all the more reason to stress the importance of taking the time to make a Will.

“Will Aid is a fantastic way to tick this important piece of paperwork off your to-do list whilst also making a real difference with a charitable donation.”

James Tarleton, Chair of Will Aid said:

“2018 marks 30 years since the start of Will Aid and this year’s statistics show that, even after three decades, there is still a need for this campaign and to encourage more people to make their Will.  

“Not only does making your Will through Will Aid provide peace of mind, by using a professional solicitor, but the nine partner charities use the donations and legacies from Will makers to reach people in crisis, both here in the UK and all around the world.

“As well as making a donation, many people who make their Wills through Will Aid, use this opportunity to provide support to their favourite charities through a gift in their Will. These legacies make a great difference and we are very thankful for those who choose to support our work in this way.

Will Aid Month, which takes place every November, encourages people to write a Will with the help of a professional solicitor.

Law firms volunteer their time and expertise to write basic Wills, waiving their fee, with clients being invited to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid instead. Donations support the vital work of the nine partner charities.

The suggested donation for your basic Will Aid Will is £95 for a single Will and £150 for a pair of mirror Wills.

Those who wish to book a Will can make their November appointments from September onwards via our website or by calling us on 0300 0309 558.

Last year Will Aid raised more than £1.1 million for its charity partners – ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (Northern Ireland).

For more information visit www.willaid.org.uk.

 

This article was published by the submitter (as named above) as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Wills & Probate.

The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Wills & Probate.

Will Aid

Will Aid is a special partnership between the legal profession and nine of the UK’s best-loved charities. Every November, participating solicitors waive their fee for writing a basic Will. Instead, they invite clients to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid – we suggest £95 for a single basic Will and £150 for a pair of basic ‘mirror’ Wills. With Will Aid, everyone benefits. You get a professionally drawn-up Will and peace of mind, while the charities receive much-needed donations for their vital work.

We need solicitors

We need to recruit more solicitors because in previous years we've had so many enquiries from people wanting Wills that we simply haven't been able to service them all. Taking part in Will Aid benefits everyone. It is a great way to attract interest in your firm and it gives you a unique opporunity to help some of the most vulnerable people both here in the UK and around the World. Register today