Get A Will. Don’t Wait: The 30-Minute Protection Move Most UK Adults Still Skip
If you own anything — or you have anyone who depends on you — please get a will. It’s probably something you’ve heard before, and it’s probably something you’ve put off. You’re not alone. Around two-thirds of UK adults still don’t have one. Not because they don’t care. Because it feels morbid, expensive or complicated. None of that is true anymore.
What happens if you don’t have a will. Without a will, intestacy rules decide. These are legal defaults, and they surprise people. If you’re married, your spouse gets most — but not necessarily all. If you’re unmarried, your partner gets nothing by default, even after thirty years together. If you have children under 18, a court decides who raises them. These are the moments a will quietly removes from your family’s plate.
What a will actually covers. Three essentials: who inherits your money and belongings, who looks after any children under 18, and who you trust to carry out your wishes (your executor). Optional extras include charitable gifts, funeral preferences and a letter of wishes.
The cost and the routes. A straightforward online will that’s legally reviewed costs around £90–£150. A solicitor for straightforward cases costs around £150–£400. Either route takes about 30 minutes of your time. Complex circumstances — a blended family, a business, overseas assets — are reasons to use a solicitor rather than an online template.
Three mistakes to avoid. First, writing a will and never telling anyone where it lives — register it with the National Will Register so executors can find it. Second, naming one executor with no backup. Third, forgetting to update the will after marriage, divorce, a new child or a property purchase. Marriage automatically revokes a previous will in England and Wales.
Where do you stand. Protection is one of five areas of a lasting financial foundation — at MoneyMade we call this area “Make It Safe”. Take the free 5-minute Financial Foundations Check to see where you stand across all five. If you want to go further, a qualified and regulated financial adviser can tailor a plan to your circumstances.
Want the 60-second version? We broke this down simply in our very first MoneyMade short. Watch it below — and if it resonates, hit subscribe. More bite-sized money clarity coming every week.
*The figures used are illustrative examples based on assumed annual growth rates of 2%, 4% and 6%, compounded monthly over a period of 30 years with a monthly contribution of £400. These are not projections or guarantees of future performance.
