70% of UK parents have no legal guardian in place to care for their children in the event of their deaths

Research commissioned by SFE (Solicitors for the Elderly) shows almost three
quarters of parents in the UK have no legal plans in place to make sure their
children are looked after, should the parents die.

According to the research, parents are almost completely unaware of the risks
of not identifying a legal guardian in a will. And only two out of ten
parents understand that social services or the courts can step in to decide
what happens to your children if you don’t have a will in place.

SFE, a membership body of over 1,700 UK solicitors specialised in advising
people planning for the future, is calling on parents to make sure they have
an updated will in place ahead of Update Your Will Week 2023 (23rd – 29th
January).

Chair of SFE, Michael Culver, explains:

“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 as
legal guardians, 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’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research shows that around half the wills in the UK are out of date, and many
people don’t have one in the first place.”

The new research commissioned by SFE and carried out by Censuswide also
reveals:

• Only 56% of respondents have updated their will within the last five
years, meaning around a half of UK wills are out of date.

• Half of respondents have experienced a life changing event, such as
getting married, divorced or having a child, since they last updated their
will.

• One fifth of respondents know someone who has been affected by something
going wrong with a will.

Solicitors recommend reviewing and updating your will every five years, or
when a major change in your life occurs that impacts you or your loved ones,
such as divorce, marriage, a new birth or even death in the family. Having an
up to date, well drafted will is crucial in ensuring your wishes are carried
out in the way you’d like when you die.

To find out more about wills, or to find your local SFE accredited solicitor,
visit: www.sfe.legal