34 Million UK Adults 'Will-less'

    MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, April 08, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Where there's a 'Will' there's a way, but a staggering 34 million* adults across Britain don't yet have a Will, and have no intention of getting one in the near future according to a new study from The Co-operative Legal Services (CLS).

The survey of 3,000 people aged 18 and above revealed that a shocking 72% of Britons aren't concerned about making a Will, with a third of people questioned saying that they felt too young to have a Will, and 40 per cent claiming that they don't have any assets to pass on.

People in the South West came top of the study, where one in three currently have a Will (37%), with the South East (34%) and Scotland (34%) hot on their heels. The North East came bottom of the poll with just a fifth of people professing to be 'Will' savvy.

The following statistics show the top 'Will' regions along with the percentage of people currently with Wills:

1. South West 37%
2. South East 34%
3. Scotland 34%
4. Wales 28%
5. Midlands 28%
6. North West 27%
7. North East 20%

The research highlights that more than one in 10 people don't have a clue how to make a Will with the same number not interested in making one, as they don't want to pay 'exuberant' solicitor's fees.

Eddie Ryan, Managing Director of The Co-operative Legal Services (CLS), said: "These findings clearly demonstrate that the majority of adults in the UK are currently unaware of the importance of having a Will - staggeringly, over 34 million people cannot be certain that when they die their money and possessions will go to the persons they wish, in particular their partners and children."

Mistakenly, the majority of people believe that they have to own more than GBP200 before being allowed to make a Will, with over half of respondents admitting that they had never previously thought about a Will - and have no idea whether other family members have one.

Eddie Ryan continues: "It is also apparent from the research that there are a number of common misconceptions surrounding Will-writing, however with the right professional legal advice it needn't be an expensive or laborious process.

"At Co-operative Legal Services we strongly believe that having a valid and up to date Will should be seen as a fundamental element of responsible financial planning."

The Co-operative Legal Services also initially provide free legal advice on what needs to happen regarding Probate and Estate Administration when someone dies.

Note to editor:

* * 34 million calculated as follows:
(72% of UK adults currently don't have a will; 47 million adults in the UK)
72% of 47 million = 34 million
* Research conducted by onepoll.com on behalf of Co-operative Legal Services (CLS) amongst a representative sample of 3,000 adults in December 2007.
* Co-operative Legal Services (CLS) is part of the Co-operative Group and provides a full range of legal services - Will writing, Probate, Conveyancing, Employment and Accident Management services - to its customers and members.
* For further information visit www.co-operative.coop/legalservices/

For more information contact:

Dave Smith
Co-operative Legal Services Press Office
Tel: 0161 827 5614
Fax: 0161 832 2751
Email: [email protected]

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