Wills solicitor offers crucial guidance after worrying statistics revealed

A Cheshire-based wills and probate solicitor is recommending reviewing and updating your will at least once every five years.

Kristel Clarke, a member of the probate department at Warrington-based Watsons Solicitors, is urging people to assess their current documentation after alarming statistics were revealed.

Ahead of Update Your Will Week, research commissioned in December 2022 by Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) and Watsons, highlighted that 76 per cent of parents in the North West have no legal plans in place to make sure their children are looked after should they die.

That is a worrying increase from 2020 when 65 per cent of adults aged 40-plus said they had a will in place.

In addition, the latest findings revealed that only 13 per cent of parents in the region are aware of the risks of not identifying a legal guardian in a will. Without doing so, social services or the courts can step in to decide what happens to your children.

Kristel, an accredited member of the SFE, a national organisation of more than 1,700 lawyers in the UK who support older and vulnerable people, said: “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, 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 is advised to revise your will sooner than the recommended timeframe if a major event happens, such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, or a death.

Kristel added: “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 four in 10 wills in the North West are old, and many people in the region don’t have one in the first place.”

More than 2,000 UK adults were polled with 52 per cent admitting to having experienced a life-changing event without updating their will.

Some 22 per cent of respondents know someone who has been affected by something going wrong with a will, while 19 per cent believe it’s possible to update by amending the original document and initialling the changes, which is incorrect.

To speak to someone at Watsons Solicitors about your will, please contact enquiries@watsonssolicitors.com or call 01925 571212.

Watsons Solicitors, which has been established for more than 60 years, specialises in family law, employment law, wills and probate, and conveyancing.

The team of experienced solicitors holds various accreditations and memberships of professional bodies relevant to their expertise, while the firm’s partners oversee all areas of work.