Concerns about number of parents without a Will

A new survey has revealed that more than half of all British adults who have dependent children are yet to make a Will.

The research was carried out by Will Aid, which runs a will-writing campaign for charity every autumn.

It suggested that 53 per cent of mums and dads in the UK had failed to put their affairs in order, which would effectively leave their children without guardianship.

Common reasons for people not having made a Will included not managing to find the time, a sense that they were too young or not wishing to think about death.

Peter de Vena Franks, campaign director for Will Aid, said: “If you die without appointing a guardian, and there is no other parent with parental responsibility, the court will decide who is appointed to look after your child.

“In some cases this can be a person neither related or known to the child.

“Preparing a correctly worded will with a solicitor is the only way to prevent this potentially distressing situation from occurring and yet so many parents are finding reasons not to get this important piece of paperwork done.”

If you require advice on any aspect of drafting or revising a Will, please contact Ian West (IanWest@cartercamerons.com), or Michael Woodward (MichaelWoodward@cartercamerons.com) or visit our website.