Writing a will is probably not on the to-do lists of most 27-year-olds. But Erin Atkinson has already decided what should happen to her money and belongings when she dies. “At first it felt quite surreal because you associate wills with older people,” she says. Erin works in psychological research at a London university and moved to the capital from Bristol four years ago.
She now rents and, although she did not want to share her exact salary, does not see herself as particularly wealthy. Even so, she has already decided where some of her things should go. Her £7,000 car will go to her sister. A gold necklace given to her by her partner will go back to him.
And she has asked for some of her money to go to a cause that matters deeply to her. “One thing that’s close to my heart is an endometriosis charity,” she says. “It felt really empowering that I could have that written down to say I want X amount donated.” For many young people, however, making a will may not seem necessary, particularly if they feel they have little to leave behind. The 2025 National Wills Report found that just one in five 18 to 24-year-olds has a will in place.
That rises to 33% of 22 to 34-year-olds, compared with 56% of people aged over 55. Sophia Maslin, founder of Morby, an app that allows people to create wills online, says the idea that you need to own a lot before making a will is one of the biggest misconceptions she comes across. “People believe they don’t own enough. But actually, if you’ve got some sort of savings, investments, pensions, your social media accounts, if you’ve got pets, even funeral wishes, these are all things to think about,” she says.
For Erin, the idea of making a will first came up when her friend bought a home. Then she began seeing Maslin talking about wills on TikTok. Maslin had shared the story of her cousin, who died young without a will, and how complicated things became for her family. Seeing her story made Erin think more seriously about making one for herself, while seeing the effect of her own grandmother’s will on her family also influenced her.
“My grandma passed and she had a will and it was very complex because we have quite a large family. Seeing the will written in a way that was very directive showed me you can take a lot of pressure off the family,” she says. The process also made Erin see she had more financial assets than she realised, such as premium bonds. Eleanor Hodgson from Crombie Wilkinson Solicitors says there can be practical reasons for making a will even if you don’t have that many assets.
“It’s not just your assets that it helps because there’s still someone that has to deal with your bank accounts and any debts you have, and it’s [being] able to name a person that can legally deal with that without having to jump through hoops,” she says. The difficulties of not having a will can be hard to appreciate until the time comes, Hodgson adds. Maslin says young people can be tempted to put off making a will, assuming it is something they will need later in life. “The reality is that unexpected things happen at every stage of life,” she says.
For Erin, some of the things in her will are worth more to her emotionally than financially. Her will also sets out some of the smaller details she would like her family to know about, from a poem she wants read at her funeral, to the drink she would like served. Thinking about those details did not feel morbid to her. “For me, writing a will wasn’t about expecting the worst.
It was about taking responsibility and making life easier for the people I care about,” she says. Writing a will can seem daunting and expensive. But there are ways to get one written for free or at a lower cost. For example, every November, Will Aid, external works with solicitors who volunteer their time and waive their fee for writing a basic will.
Once you have a solicitor, there are a few things to think about: Choose your beneficiaries: Decide who you want to leave your money and possessions to, whether that’s family, friends or a charity. If you have children under 18, you can also name guardians for them. Choose an executor: This is the person who will make sure your wishes are carried out. It could be a trusted family member or a solicitor, but check whether they charge a fee.
Think about pets: You can say who you would like to look after them after you die. Leave funeral wishes: You can include your preferences, such as whether you want to be buried or cremated, as well as music, readings or flowers. Keep your will somewhere safe and make sure someone you trust knows where it is. If your will cannot be found, it can cause delays and may mean your wishes are not followed. ‘Plan your exit like a celebrity’ – why young people are being encouraged to write wills Daughters’ victory after challenging father’s will ‘Quickie’ divorces and will writing to be probed
