LEAP Estates reveals 2025 will writing trends

LEAP Estates has introduced its 2025 Annual Report, a detailed examination of will writing trends in England and Wales. This comprehensive report pulls from anonymised data derived from over 200,000 wills and upwards of 400,000 legal documents. It provides valuable demographics, essential insights into estate planning, and an array of intriguing trends including charitable gifts, the prevalence of branded bequests like Rolex watches and Pandora jewellery, as well as family members frequently excluded from these legal documents.

Central to this year's findings is the collaboration with WillSuite, an integration partner that has significantly enhanced the capabilities of LEAP Estates. Since its incorporation into LEAP Legal Software in 2023, WillSuite has been instrumental in generating more than 900,000 wills and 1.7 million legal documents, producing around 7,000 new documents weekly. This software not only streamlines operations for estate planning professionals but also reduces duplication and errors, leading to a more efficient service for clients.

Craig Matthews, CEO of LEAP Estates and WillSuite, expresses enthusiasm for the report’s data, stating “For the first time we’ve been able to combine data from our LEAP, LEAP Estates and WillSuite users to bring about our largest report to date. Seeing an eight-fold increase in documents produced through our combined platform in just four years is really exciting and a testament to the hard work that goes into the development and support of our products.”

The report dives into an extensive range of specific insights that shape the estate planning process, including demographic trends, the inclusion of various trusts in wills, and the frequency of charitable bequests. Additionally, it explains preferences regarding funeral arrangements and organ donation requests, alongside emerging patterns in popular gifts and the brands favoured by testators.

Among the most commonly gifted items last year were cash, property, pets, and an assortment of chattels. The report identifies the top ten specific gifts as jewellery, engagement and wedding rings, watches, cars, and collectible items such as records and coins. The analysis revealed that the average mean value of gifts in 2024 stood at £15,138, a figure derived from 46,976 cash gifts recorded across 208,793 wills. When specific brands were referenced, they predominantly included Rolex, Pandora, Tag Heuer, and Omega, particularly when the gifts pertained to jewellery or watches, while vehicles were usually noted simply as “the family car.”

The LEAP Estates 2025 Annual Report is not only a crucial resource for industry professionals but also offers a captivating view into how individuals across England and Wales are approaching their legacy planning. For those interested in exploring further, the full report is available online.