70% of UK parents have no legal guardian in place to care for their children in the event of their deaths

Our new research shows almost three quarters of parents in the UK have no legal plans in place to make sure their children are looked after, should the parents die. 
 
And only two out of ten parents understand that social services or the courts can step in to decide what happens to your children if you don’t have a will in place.
 
We’re calling on parents to make sure they have an updated will in place as we celebrate Update Your Will Week 2023 (23rd – 29th January).
 
Chair of SFE, Michael Culver, explains:
 
“It’s shocking how many parents don’t have a will in place or haven’t appointed a legal guardian for their children. Godparents don’t count as legal guardians, so to avoid the risk of the courts deciding what happens to your children, you really should make a will and update it every five years.
 
“It’s crucial to keep your will up to date and take legal advice when life-changing events happen, like getting re-married or having children. Our research shows that around half the wills in the UK are out of date, and many people don’t have one in the first place.”
 
The new research carried out by Censuswide (Dec 2022) also reveals:
 
• Only 56% of UK adults have updated their will within the last five years, meaning around a half of UK wills are out of date.
 
• Half of UK adults have experienced a life changing event, such as getting married, divorced or having a child, since they last updated their will.
 
• One fifth of UK adults know someone who has been affected by something going wrong with a will.
 
We recommend reviewing and updating your will every five years, or when a major change in your life occurs that impacts you or your loved ones, such as divorce, marriage, a new birth or even death in the family. 
 
Having an up to date, well drafted will is crucial in ensuring your wishes are carried out in the way you’d like when you die.
 
To find your local SFE accredited solicitor, visit: https://sfe.legal/Public/Radius-Search/Public/Radius-Search/Find-a-Solicitor.aspx
 
Or find out more about Update Your Will Week here: https://sfe.legal/Public/Public/Resources/Update-your-Will-Week-2023.aspx?hkey=f1a65178-17d4-4b7f-bb59-c359f495a9ad