The National Wills Report 2025: What UK Families Need to Do Next

This article explains the key findings from the National Wills Report 2025 and what they mean for UK families.

Quick answer: Only 37% of UK adults have made a Will, down from around 50% in previous years. Encouragingly, 51% of Wills are written by professionals, and more families are now turning to secure digital-first services. But with 29% of people not telling anyone where their Will is, and more than half unsure about their parents’ arrangements, simple steps like registering and reviewing a Will make all the difference.

The big picture in 2025

Fewer people have a Will than you might expect

Just 37% of adults say they have made a Will. That’s significantly fewer than in previous reports and highlights a widening gap, especially among younger people. Without one, families face delay, expense and uncertainty at the worst possible time.

Professional drafting remains the norm

Of those who do have a Will, 51% were written by a professional and only 14% relied on a DIY kit. This shows a clear preference for expert guidance, recognising the risks of mistakes.

Read more about the dangers of online Will forms in our recent article.

Intention is high, action is lagging

The report also finds that 34% of adults plan to write a Will in the next 12 months. If they do, that could mean an additional 17 million Wills are created.

Cost-of-living pressures, house moves, family changes and media coverage about inheritance have nudged estate planning up the list. But intention doesn’t protect your family. Only a signed, correctly executed and findable Will does.

The intention-action gap that causes real-world delays

We talk about death more than we act on it

Nearly 79% of UK adults say they’re comfortable talking about death – a big increase on previous years. Yet 29% have never discussed what should happen after their death. Wishes might be shared in conversation, but without a formal Will those discussions can’t guarantee legal certainty.

The “shadow Wills” problem

The report highlights that 29% of people with a Will haven’t told anyone where it is, and 51% don’t know where their parents’ Will is stored.

This means estates risk being delayed or disputed simply because executors can’t find the document. Professional storage and registration solve this problem, ensuring a Will is always retrievable.

Who’s being missed? The age gap

Will ownership rises with age: 56% of over-55s have a Will, compared to just 20% of 18-24 year olds. Younger adults often assume Wills are for later life, but anyone with children, property, savings or digital assets needs one.

Life happens out of order: co-habitation, house purchases, blended families, micro-businesses and pets all create practical questions a Will can answer. A first Will now is better than a perfect Will never.

Key moments to act:

• Buying a home or taking on a new mortgage

• Getting married, entering a civil partnership, or separating

• Becoming a parent or step-parent, or becoming a guardian

• Starting a business, building investments or receiving an inheritance

• Moving in together (co-habiting partners don’t have automatic rights without a Will)

Digital-first vs paper: what people actually prefer

Why digital-first Wills are on the rise

The survey shows that 36% of adults would happily have a digital Will, while 25% are undecided. This growing appetite reflects changing habits: people want convenience but also professional reassurance.

A professional digital-first service offers just that – expert-drafted Wills, completed online via webcam, with proper execution and storage of the signed paper original.

Why paper originals still matter

Under current law, a paper original is still required for probate. That’s why 39% of people still prefer paper. But digital-first services solve both sides: technology makes drafting easy, while professional storage ensures the paper original is valid, safe and accessible.

What this means in practice:

• Use a professional digital Will service to avoid mistakes

• Get the convenience of online or phone appointments with expert oversight

• Ensure the signed paper original is stored securely and its location is registered

Charitable legacies: a quiet growth story

The report reveals that 38% of Wills already include a charitable gift. A further 30% of people would consider adding one when they next update, and among those planning to write a Will this year, that rises to 57%. Even people without a Will are open to giving: 46% say they’d include a charity.

Barriers remain – 52% believe they can’t afford to give, 40% simply haven’t thought about it, and 9% didn’t know it was possible. Professional advice makes the options clear and ensures charities are named correctly.

Small pecuniary gifts and residue percentages can make a meaningful difference to causes you care about. If you intend to leave a legacy, name the charity precisely (including charity number) and explain whether the gift is a fixed amount, a specific asset or a share of the residue.

Tip: If you’re leaving a significant legacy, consider the tax position and how the gift interacts with family provision and trust planning.

What a good Will looks like in 2025

A robust Will for a modern family should:

• Name the right people: executors to run the estate; guardians for children; trustees where money will be looked after for minors or vulnerable beneficiaries

• Cover your assets clearly: property, savings, investments, business interests, life policies, pensions (via nominations), digital assets and sentimental items

• Explain substitutions: who benefits if a beneficiary dies before you

• Work with the real world: mirror or mutual Wills for couples where appropriate, with clarity about what happens if circumstances change

• Be findable: stored securely, with its location shared with the executors and recorded on a recognised register

• Stay current: reviewed after life events and at sensible intervals even if nothing obvious has changed

Reviews and updates: when to change your Will

Change your Will when life changes. Common triggers include:

• New child, step-child or grandchild

• Marriage, civil partnership, separation or divorce

• Buying or selling a home; refinancing

• Starting, selling or restructuring a business

• Significant changes in savings or investments

• A beneficiary or executor has died, moved abroad or become unsuitable

• You want to add or update a charitable gift

If the change is modest, a codicil may be enough, although we generally advise against using codicils. If it’s substantial, a new Will is usually cleaner and avoids confusion.

Storage, registration and communication

Storage

Professional storage protects against loss, damage and tampering. You also get controlled release to executors with ID checks, which avoids the risk of an original going missing during a house move or clear-out.

Registration

Registering the Will’s existence and location makes it easier to find during probate. Think of it as the “pointer” to the original.

Communication

Tell your executors and one trusted family member where the Will is kept and how to access it. Consider a short letter of wishes for personal guidance that sits alongside the Will (for example, thoughts on guardianship, personal effects or funeral preferences). Keep it practical and up to date.

Children, guardians and trusts: the essentials

If you have children under 18, guardianship is one of the most important reasons to make a Will. Without it, there is uncertainty about who will look after your children day-to-day if both parents die.

Your Will should:

• Appoint guardians you trust and who are willing to act

• Provide financial structure, usually via a trust that holds money until a suitable age

• Allow trustees to use funds for education, health and welfare as needed

• Make clear who manages any property and how maintenance will be covered

Blended families and second relationships benefit from careful planning so that a surviving partner is secure, while children from previous relationships are protected.

Inheritance Tax awareness (practical, not theoretical)

You don’t need to be wealthy to trigger tax questions. A family home and savings can bring an estate close to current thresholds, especially for couples. The main points to consider are:

• Nil-rate band and residence nil-rate band, including transfer between spouses or civil partners

• How gifts in your lifetime interact with the estate

• Whether a charitable legacy might reduce the effective rate

• Using trusts for control and protection, while understanding the trade-offs
  A Will does not exist in isolation. It should be aligned with lifetime planning, beneficiary nominations, survivorship rules on joint assets, and letters of wishes.

What to do next

1. Make or review your Will

If you don’t have a Will, make one. If you do, check whether it still fits your family and finances.

2. Decide storage and register its location

Choose secure custody and record where the original is held so it’s found fast when needed.

3. Tell your executors

Share simple, practical instructions they can follow on day one.

4. Consider the wider plan

Think about guardians, trusts for children, charitable gifts and whether you also need Lasting Powers of Attorney.

How ELM Legal Services can help

Write or review your Will with ELM today. We’ll draft it correctly, store it securely, and help you register where it’s kept so it’s found when it matters.

If you have children, business interests or a blended family, we’ll build in the right safeguards so your loved ones are protected.

Contact our team for a friendly, no obligation, chat to get started.

FAQs

How common are Wills in the UK in 2025?

Only 37% of adults currently have one. Ownership rises with age, but too many families still lack a valid, findable Will.

Where should I store my Will?

Use secure professional storage and register the Will’s location. Tell your executors exactly where it is and how to retrieve it.

Can I include a charity in my Will?

Yes. You can leave a fixed amount, a specific item or a share of your estate. Name the charity clearly and consider the tax position if the legacy is substantial.

How often should I review my Will?

After major life events, or every few years. Reviews keep executors, guardians, gifts and storage details current.