Why Do So Many People Avoid Making a Will? 7 Common Reasons - and Why They Matter

We know that writing a will is not something that everyone is going to want to think about, let alone actually do. But unfortunately, it is something that everyone, no matter their age, needs to keep in mind.

Of course, we understand why you may feel this way and believe us when we say that you are not alone in thinking like this. However, we are here to tell you that writing a will is actually one of the most important things that you can do, not only for yourself, but for your loved ones too.

Let’s start by acknowledging the emotional elephant in the room: mortality. It’s natural to feel uneasy when thinking about what will happen after we’re gone.

To help you to think things through, we are going to share with you 7 common reasons why people avoid making a will and then why making a will really does matter.

The 7 common reasons why people avoid making a will

1. I don’t have enough property/estates/belongings/money to need a will- Many people will think that a will is something that is only needed by those people who are wealthy and have lots of things that they want to protect or pass along. However, this is not the case, it doesn’t matter what you have, or how much you have to pass along, the important thing is that you are thinking about it.

   
   

2. I have lots of time- Of course, we all hope that we are going to have long, happy and healthy lives and for many of us this is true. But this doesn’t mean that you should put off writing a will because you have “plenty of time”. No-one knows what is around the corner, and we should all plan for every eventuality for the future.

   
   

3. I don’t want to think about death- Again, this is a point that is pretty obvious, but it is important to consider that writing a will is not you thinking about death, it is about planning for the life of others that you care about after you have passed away.

   
   

4. It is complicated and expensive- There are some costs that come with writing a will, particularly if you use a will writing service, but the process doesn’t have to be expensive. Also, using a will writing service to complete your will for you, or alongside you, will help to ensure that the process is as smooth as possible and that it doesn’t feel complicated.

   
   

5. I don’t want my family to fall out- A common worry is that writing a will could cause your family to fall out and to argue, especially at a time with emotions are running high. However, it should be said that not writing a will, and having the usual legal process of allocating property, estates and assets is much more likely to cause a problem within your family and loved ones.

   
   

6. The laws in place are enough- Many people think that if they die without a will then their spouse, partner or their next of kin will inherit everything, all with no fuss or worry. But this is not always the case. Many people find that when a loved one dies, the intestacy laws are not always going to allocate things as they wished them to be.

   
   

7. I am too overwhelmed by it all- This is a normal way to feel, after all, writing a will and thinking about all these things are some of the biggest decisions that you can make. Particularly if you are worried about your children or loved ones.

Why you should stop avoiding and start writing!

If you don’t have a will then the important thing to remember is that you will have absolutely no say in who inherits what after you die. You are likely to cause your loved ones a lot more stress and worry than you would have if you had written a will and there are also delays and additional costs to think about too.

Now you know that creating a will is something that you need to do, no matter how you may feel about it. Why not get in touch with us here at Citywide Wills? Not only are we experts in making wills, but we also offer a free consultation that will help you to figure out what exactly you need to focus on and what your next steps are.