Scots most likely to have a Will

20th October 2017

A new survey has revealed that despite more than one in ten people in the UK not knowing how to get a Will, Scots are most likely to have one in place. Of those who didn't know how to get a Will, 5% of them were aged 55 and over, and 2% were 65 and over.

One in six people felt they were too young to have a Will, with 16% of these aged between 55 and 64 and 2% in the 65 years and over age group.

Of the 42% that already have a Will in place, the majority were men.

The survey of 1,000 people from across the UK was conducted by chartered accountants Perrys to raise awareness of the importance of having an up-to-date Will. It showed that 9% of Scots questioned felt it was too expensive to get a Will. And despite earning nearly twice the average annual wage, one in ten of these are taking home £40,000 per annum or more.

Other results revealed that over a third of Scots would consider getting a Will if they could benefit from free, professional advice at home, with only a quarter wanting to discuss their Will by telephone, whilst the remainder would prefer to be contacted at their place of work.

Stewart Pope, who is CEO at Perrys, said:"There still isn't enough emphasis on the importance of having a Will in place whatever your age, income or assets.

"A Will should be seen as an insurance policy and can save your family a lot of heartache in the long-term should something unexpected happen. This is particularly important if you have children or live together, but aren't married. Even if you are married there are still grey areas as to who will inherit your belongings.

"Not only does a Will legally determine the allocation of any assets you may have, but it will also clarify personal requests such as who will care for your children in the event of both parents' deaths. A Will can also help inheritance tax payments to be planned more efficiently and help to avoid costly and lengthy disputes amongst family members."

To view the full survey's results, please visit http://www.gorkanasurveys.com/C4mOgAACl

For a safe and cheap will service look at one run online by Bruce Dewert of Georgesons solicitors at https://www.myscottishwill.co.uk/

Citizens Advice also offer information about making a will - see https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/family/death-and-wills/wills-s/

Perry's are accountants - Website: www.perrysaccountants.co.uk