The National Wills Report 2025 showed that just 37% of UK adults have made a Will.

This is a concern.  Writing a Will is so important. It is one of the clearest ways to record your wishes, protect loved ones and reduce confusion after death. Financial changes and personal circumstances also occur throughout a lifetime, so a Will is not just a one-off document. It should keep pace with life.

If you were to die without a Will, the intestacy rules will determine who will receive your money, property or possessions. This may not be in the way you would have wished.

If you aren’t married or in a civil partnership your assets will not automatically pass to your partner, unless you have stated it in a Will. If you have no surviving relatives to inherit under the rules of intestacy, your estate will pass to the Crown.

Why should I write a Will?

The biggest driver of those who make a Will, is the wish to reduce uncertainty and make things easier for the people left behind. When there is no Will, or when a Will cannot be found, the burden often falls on relatives who are already dealing with loss. Delays become longer. Decisions become harder. Tension can rise.  Most people simply want clarity. They want to decide who receives what, rather than leave those decisions uncertain or open to dispute.

A Will is often associated with older age, property ownership or large estates. In reality, it is much broader than that and can be an important document for all adults. If you still aren’t sure whether or not you need a Will, take a look at our list below, which highlights six key moments in life when you should consider making one.

Buying a house – you’ll want to ensure any shares in the house end up in the right hands and that you have taken legal advice on how to protect your share of the property, especially if you own a home outside of a marriage or civil partnership.

Getting married – Any Will you had in place before you marry, or form a civil partnership automatically becomes invalid, so unless you update it, the rules of intestacy will dictate who will benefit from your estate which may not entirely be your spouse.

Co-habiting – unless you have a Will, your partner will not inherit any of your estate, regardless of how long you have been together. In your Will you can provide for your partner, ensuring that they receive your property and have access to your finances.

Divorcing – Until your divorce is final, you will still be viewed as a married couple and your estranged spouse will still inherit under the rules of intestacy. Both prior and post divorce, you may wish to create a new Will, update your executors and reconsider guardianship for your dependents.

Having children – A Will means you can stipulate who should act as guardians and take care of your children in the event of your death. You can also stipulate the age at which your children will inherit. Under the intestacy rules, children inherit at the age of 18 years.

Worrying about inheritance or care fees – With careful Will drafting it is possible for spouses to protect part of their estate against care fees should the survivor of them require care following the first death. This can be achieved by creating a Trust that allows the surviving spouse to enjoy the estate whilst protecting the capital value for the benefit of the next generation.

For more information:

• Can AI draft your Will?
• Next of Kin – It may not mean what you think
• Will writing services

Contact us for legal advice:

• Email info@hrjforemanlaws.co.uk
• Call Hitchin, 01462 458711, Welwyn Garden City, 01707 887700, Old Harlow 01279 709 100.
• Complete our contact form here

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