One statistic that has really caused a number of people to sit up and take notice in recent weeks is the estimation that 70% of the UK’s population does not have a valid will. The lack of knowledge as to what happens if one does not have a will is widespread and this is very much an issue. As legal adviser to the recent BBC2 documentary on will-writing, Can’t Take It With You, and co-presenter of the show along with business guru Sir Gerry Robinson, I was at heart of a nationwide campaign to highlight the importance of proper estate planning to over 1.5 million viewers each week.
If there is one group of people who would be expected to have an idea as to how the intestacy rules work and the importance of making a will, it is lawyers. However, informal straw polls show that as a general rule of thumb the 70% figure holds as good for lawyers as it does for other members of the population. Many would find it shocking that the very people who work with the law and are aware of many of its quirks and foibles are still prepared to let matters pass in relation to what should happen to their assets upon their death.
