7pc of UK respondents updated or made will in first lockdown

The majority of people in the UK had not got their affairs in order in spite of the pandemic, as the first UK national lockdown ended, the Law Society said.

In June this year, 1,000 members of the public were asked about whether they had made a will. 

There is still widespread ignorance among individuals of the problems that can be left behind if they die without a will – or an updated one, the Society concluded.

Though just 7% (6% of those who identified as keyworkers) said they had made a will or updated an existing will during the national lockdown, but the Society said this was a “striking shift” given how many people do not have a will. 

More than half of the adult population in the UK are thought to have no will in place.

Only 29% said they have an up-to-date will reflecting their current intentions.

The Society’s president David Greene said: “Many people are unaware of the chaos they can leave behind if they do not make a will or regularly update one to reflect their current wishes.”

Almost a quarter of those who did not make a will said they had nothing valuable to leave loved ones while a fifth blamed a lack of time to make one. 

And of the respondents, 18% said they were too young. 

While encouraged that so many had made wills in the first lockdown, Greene said: “The fact remains that the overwhelming majority of the UK public do not have an up-to-date will as we enter the second wave of covid-19 cases.”

“In some demographics – such as urban and BAME communities – will-making is particularly uncommon”, he commented.

Only 25% of those from a BAME background had a will, compared to 42% of white respondents. 

More than half (54%) of respondents in rural areas had a will compared to just 36% of those in urban areas.

The research also revealed a majority (68%) had no lasting powers of attorney or end of life provisions.

Kate Arnold, a partner at Cripps Pemberton Greenish, said the firm’s experience at the beginning of the first lockdown reflects the results of the Society’s research.

She commented: “[We had] a lot of new clients wanting wills prepared and many existing clients reviewing and updating their wills.

“With the restrictions in place at that time we had to find some quite inventive ways to arrange for wills to be signed but were able to do so and put clients’ minds at ease in very worrying times.”