More than half of 30 to 54 year olds that took part in the research said the process of writing a will is off-putting because it requires them to confront their own mortality. A further quarter are avoiding the process because they consider it to be low down their priority list.
When asked where they would go to if they had to create a will tomorrow, the majority of respondents – three-quarters – said they would seek third-party help. Nearly half would approach a will-writing company, while more than a quarter said they would go to a local firm of solicitors. Just under a fifth would know to make a will themselves online.
Finally, almost eight in 10 people said they thought updating a will would be a headache, and would require stumping up even more money. By comparison, just 24 per cent felt the process of updating a will would be low cost and relatively straightforward.
Ian Gosling, co-founder and CEO, Affio.co.uk which conducted the research, commented: “The results of this survey confirm the huge level of misunderstanding in the UK surrounding wills. Not only are people unaware of the various ways to create a will, but most think it’s far more expensive than it actually is. Add in the fact that many people simply do not like to confront their own mortality and you can see why so many of us haven’t got a will. The risks of not having a will, of course, are well-known. It can cause all sorts of confusion and anguish at an already difficult time. But for whatever reason, the message, to date, simply hasn’t been getting across.”
Image: Will by Shutterstock
