The last 18 months have taught us how precious life is but over half of Londoners still don’t have a will, new data has revealed.

A survey commissioned by charity will-writing scheme, Will Aid, found 54% of Londoners don’t have a will in place to protect their final wishes in the event of their death.

The local statistics demonstrates the issue is greater than the national picture, where 49% of people in the UK admitted to not having the important paperwork.

Peter de Vena Franks, Campaign Director for Will Aid, said: “The importance of getting a will and preparing for the inevitable should not be underestimated.

“A will may seem like just a piece of paper, but they provide reassurance and peace of mind for the individual and their loved ones. By getting a professionally written will, people can rest easy knowing their wishes will be respected when they die.

“The pandemic has highlighted how fragile life can be, so now is the time for people to get a plan in place. I encourage people to take the opportunity to get one during Will Aid month this November.”

According to the results, the most common reason adults in London don’t have a will is because they think they are too young (31%). Meanwhile, 22% of respondents said they don’t want to think about death.

Mr de Vena Franks continued: “Thinking about death is understandably difficult, but that does not make it go away. By getting a will during Will Aid month, you will be protecting your wishes while supporting nine charities’ life-changing work.”

London-based firm, J Stifford Solicitors, has taken part in Will Aid for three years and raised £22,160 for the campaign.

Chowdhury Ali, Principal Solicitor at the firm, said: “We cannot stress how important it is to get a will in place, and the Will Aid campaign provides a great opportunity to do that.
“It helps people access trusted solicitors to get a professionally written plan, while supporting nine great causes.”

November is Will Aid month, where solicitors volunteer their time to write basic wills without charging their normal fee. Instead, clients are asked to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid.

The suggested donation for a basic will is £100 and £180 for a pair of mirror wills, which is then shared between the campaign’s nine partner charities: ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (Northern Ireland).