Two-thirds of UK adults have no valid, current Will. Research published in September 2026 found that 67% either have never made one or have one that no longer reflects their circumstances. The figures below set out the full national picture, the regional breakdown and the reasons people give for not making a Will.
We prepare Wills for clients across Eastbourne, Hailsham and Polegate. Call us on 01323 727321 to book an appointment.
The headline figures
The UK Will statistics for 2026 come from a poll of almost 2,000 adults commissioned by the charity Will Aid:
- 67% of UK adults either have no Will or have one that is out of date
- 57% have never made a Will at all
- 10% have a Will that no longer reflects their circumstances or wishes
- 44% say they are unlikely to write a Will within the next year
That last figure matters as much as the first. The gap is not closing on its own.
Why people say they have not made a Will
Of the 1,151 respondents without a Will, the reasons given were:
| Reason given | Share |
|---|---|
| Believed they had nothing worth leaving | 29% |
| Cost | 19% |
| Had not found the time | 19% |
| Uncomfortable thinking about death | 18% |
| Assumed the process was too complicated | 14% |
The largest single reason is a misunderstanding rather than a barrier. A Will decides who has legal authority to deal with your affairs and who looks after your children, both of which apply regardless of what your Estate is worth.
What prompts people to make a Will
Among the 857 respondents who had made one:
- 23% wanted the reassurance that their children would be looked after
- 23% were prompted by having children
- 22% acted after hearing about someone who had died without a Will
- 18% made theirs after buying a house
Three of those four triggers are life events rather than a change of mind. People rarely decide to make a Will in the abstract. Something happens first.
The regional picture
The same research was broken down by region. These are the areas published so far:
| Area | No Will or out of date | Never made one | Out of date |
|---|---|---|---|
| East of England | 71% | 60% | 11% |
| South East | 69% | 60% | 9% |
| East Midlands | 69% | 60% | 9% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 68% | 56% | 12% |
| UK overall | 67% | 57% | 10% |
The South East, which covers East Sussex, sits above the national average at 69%. Six in ten adults in the region have never made a Will.
What the UK Will statistics mean in practice
If you die without a Will, your Estate passes under the intestacy rules. These set a fixed order of relatives who inherit and in what shares. Nobody can adjust that order to suit your family.
Two consequences catch people out. An unmarried partner inherits nothing under the intestacy rules, however long you have lived together. There is no such thing as a common law spouse in England and Wales. Stepchildren you have not legally adopted also inherit nothing, even where you have raised them.
A Will is also the document in which you appoint guardians for children under 18. Without one, where there is no surviving parent holding parental responsibility, the court decides who cares for your children.
Why 10% of Wills are out of date
A Will made years ago can fail to do what you now want, or fail entirely. The events that most often break one:
- Marriage or civil partnership. Under current law, this automatically revokes an existing Will unless it was made in contemplation of that marriage. The Law Commission has recommended abolishing this rule, but no Bill has been introduced, and the rule still applies.
- Divorce or dissolution. The Will stands, but a former spouse is treated as having died before you, which can leave gifts failing or an Executor appointment with nobody to fill it.
- A new child or grandchild, or a child reaching 18.
- Buying, selling or inheriting property.
- The death of an Executor, guardian or beneficiary you named.
- A change in your assets that affects inheritance tax. The reliefs on business and agricultural property changed on 6 April 2026, so anyone who owns a business or farmland should have their Will reviewed against the new rules.
How we help
We send you a Will Questionnaire before your appointment so you can work through the decisions in your own time. It covers who your Executors should be, whether you want to leave specific items or sums to named people, who should be guardians for your children and who inherits the rest.
At the appointment we talk through what you want to happen, flag anything that will not work as you have described it and advise on Trusts or steps that may reduce a liability to inheritance tax. Once your Will is signed and witnessed, we store the original free of charge in our strong room and give you a copy to keep at home.
Talk to our Private Client team in East Sussex
UK Will statistics describe a national problem. Whether your own arrangements work is a separate question. The only way to answer that is to look at your circumstances.
Our Private Client team advises on Wills, Probate, Powers of Attorney, Trusts and Tax from our offices in Eastbourne, Hailsham and Polegate. Several of the team hold membership of STEP, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.
Call Eastbourne on 01323 727321, Hailsham on 01323 841481 or Polegate on 01323 487051 to arrange an appointment.
This article is general information about the law in England and Wales. It is not advice on your own circumstances. Please speak to us before you act on it.
Sources
Research figures
Will Aid, national poll of almost 2,000 UK adults. Findings released in September 2026 to mark the opening of appointments for the Will Aid 2026 campaign. Every figure on this page comes from that poll. willaid.org.uk
National figures and the reasons breakdown reported by Today’s Wills and Probate, 11 September 2026.
Regional figures reported in the Will Aid regional releases of 7 to 11 September 2026, including the South East.
Law referred to in this article
Intestacy rules for England and Wales. The order in which relatives inherit is set out in section 46 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925, as amended.
Revocation of a Will by marriage, Wills Act 1837, section 18.
Revocation of a Will by the formation of a civil partnership, Wills Act 1837 section 18B.
Effect of divorce or dissolution on a Will, Wills Act 1837 section 18A. A former spouse or civil partner is treated as having died on the date the marriage or civil partnership ended.
The recommendation to abolish revocation by marriage comes from the Law Commission’s final report Modernising Wills Law (Law Com No 419), published 16 May 2025. As at the date of this article, no Bill has been introduced, and the current law still applies.
Changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief from 6 April 2026, House of Commons Library research briefing CBP-10181.
Last reviewed 11 September 2026.
Please note the above is for information purposes only and is intended to be a short summary. It should not be treated as a comprehensive guide and should not be acted on without qualified legal advice.
