Fewer people in N Ireland writing a will research shows
Howard Lake | 7 September 2018 | News
Research by Will Aid shows that nearly 80% of people in Northern Ireland have not made a will.
According to Will Aid this is an increase of almost 10% of people in Northern Ireland without a will compared to last year. The figure makes Northern Ireland higher than across the UK as a whole where 53% of adults have failed to write a will.
Peter de Vena Franks, campaign director for Will Aid, told the Belfast Telegraph that the Northern Ireland figure “is almost 20% higher than the other nations within the United Kingdom”.
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“To see that the percentage of people without a will increased this year is all the more reason to stress the importance of taking the time to make a will,” he said.
President of the Law Society of Northern Ireland, Eileen Ewing, told the Belfast Telegraph that preparing a will is “a simple and inexpensive process”. “Making a will is one of the most important things we can do for our families and good causes,” she said. “If you don’t leave a will, then the Rules of Intestacy will dictate what happens to all of your assets,” she said.
Mr Franks said Will Aid provides the perfect platform to complete this important task with the expert guidance of professional solicitors. Under Will Aid participating solicitors volunteer their time and expertise and waive their fee for writing a basic will, inviting clients to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid.
Will Aid Month, which takes place every November, encourages people to write a will with the assistance of a professional solicitor. This is the 30th year of the campaign and solicitors are being urged to sign up to provide their time for free.
Donations through Will Aid support the work of nine partner charities. Last year, Will Aid raised more than £1.25m for ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (Northern Ireland).
- Will Aid 2004 launches (6 November 2004)
- Solicitors raise £1 million with Will Aid (4 September 2019)
- Will Aid encourages all charities to promote leaving a legacy (17 July 2009)
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.