Half of Britons do not have a Will, study finds

Posted 25/04/2011

Half of British adults do not have a Will in place leaving instructions for the distribution of their assets when they die, a new survey has shown.

According to research from Standard Life, 51 per cent of British adults do not have a Will, with the survey revealing more than a fifth of those aged 65 and over have not yet had a document drawn up.

Out of those surveyed, 60 per cent of 35 to 44-year-olds admitted to not having a Will, with 38 per cent of 45 to 54-year olds also saying the same. The corresponding number for 55 to 64-year-olds was almost a third.

The main reason for not yet having a Will was not finding the time to get round to doing one.

Recent research from unbiased.co.uk found that 87 per cent of people plan to leave their inheritance to friends or family. However, 1.5 million people also revealed plans to leave cash to people caring for their pet after they die.