Can a well-written Will defuse the inheritance time bomb?

17 March 2026

A worrying trend is emerging throughout the population where a growing number of adults are neglecting to create a Will.

The reasons behind the inaction vary, but the effect is that more people will be left to manage estates through the laws of intestacy rather than guided by personal wishes.

This is being dubbed the inheritance time bomb and only by understanding the value of a well-written Will can it be defused.

Why are so many people not writing Wills?

Increasingly, young people who are of an age where one would typically write a Will are feeling that they are not in a position to create one.

A lack of financial power and ownership over valuable assets has resulted in many younger adults not feeling the need to create a Will and are therefore letting the responsibility slide.

However, this trend is continuing with those later in life also neglecting to write a Will.

Recent research determined that around 40 per cent of people over 55 have “never really thought about” writing a Will.

The most common reasons why adults in general are holding back on writing Wills seem to be equal parts concern around costs and witnessing substandard Wills.

Ironically, these issues feed into each other as people attempt to create DIY Wills, now more commonly with the use of AI, only for their loved ones to have to handle heated disputes when they fail to handle the estate properly.

What can be done to tackle the inheritance time bomb?

The ongoing concern is that a move away from Wills, consciously or not, will result in many would-be beneficiaries being left forgotten and without an inheritance.

The rules of intestacy favour married spouses by awarding them the first £322,000 of an estate in its entirety and half of everything above that.

The other half is split equally among the biological children of the deceased.

If you are unmarried and have no blood relatives, your estate passes to the Crown.

This means that the lack of Wills combined with the decline in marriage could see some estates bypass families entirely, even if there are loved ones ready to receive an inheritance.

If you have no blood relatives but live with a partner and their children, they will receive nothing without a Will.

Ultimately, more needs to be done to educate people on the persistent value of Wills and how they are well-positioned to reflect the changes in contemporary family structures.

If the inheritance time bomb is created by a view that Wills are outdated, then it is time to understand the ongoing value of an effective Will.

Attempting to create a DIY Will is not the solution to these issues, as there is no replacement for expert advice and guidance.

Our team are on hand to create well-structured Wills that are designed to capture your wishes and handle your estate in a way that suits your unique situation.

This will enable you to take comfort in the knowledge that your loved ones will be taken care of after you have gone.

Speak to our team to defuse the inheritance time bomb by writing a Will you can trust.