A shocking 37% of adults in Scotland do not have paperwork in place stating what should happen to their children if they’re left without a parent, a national Will-writing charity has revealed.
The poll commissioned by Will Aid involved around 2,200 people across the country
Nationally, 54% of people in the UK haven’t named a guardian for their children in their Will, the poll shows.
Without a Will in place, youngsters already facing the trauma of losing their parents face the potential of additional upset, conflict, and disruption while care arrangements are sorted out to appoint a guardian to look after under-18s.
Peter de Vena Franks, Campaign Director for Will Aid, said:
“It’s hard to think about what will happen to your children should the worst happen to you, but sorting out the logistics and making these clear in a Will brings real peace of mind when you have young people in the family who depend on you.
“If both parents die without officially appointing a guardian, courts will decide who is best to look after their children, which means the person chosen to look after them until adulthood may not be in accordance with the parent’s wishes.
“As November is the start of Will Aid month – which sees solicitors across the UK waiving their fee for writing basic Wills – this is the perfect time for parents to protect their loved ones getting a Will professionally drawn-up.
“A Will gives a clear plan of action to follow and avoids confusion and disputes between family members at a time when emotions will already be high.”
The annual Will Aid campaign sees solicitors across the UK volunteering their time to write Wills throughout November.
Will Aid is a partnership between the legal profession and nine of the UK’s best-loved charities.
The initiative, which has been running for more than 30 years, sees participating solicitors waive their fee for writing basic Wills every November.
Instead, they invite clients to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid – a suggested £100 for a single basic Will and £180 for a pair of basic ‘mirror’ Wills.
Donations to the campaign are shared by Will Aid’s nine partner charities, which operate both here in the UK and around the world: ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (N. Ireland).
“Will Aid is open and appointments are now available,” said Peter.
“Like previous years there is expected to be a high demand, so people are encouraged to book an appointment now with a participating solicitor, which they can find via the Will Aid website.”
There is also the option to make your Will with a solicitor remotely if you don’t have a local firm or are unable to travel, which means you can make your Will through Will Aid this year, wherever you are in the UK.
Will Aid has been running since 1988 and is open to all adults.
The campaign has encouraged more than 350,000 people to write their will with a regulated and insured solicitor and, in so doing has raised over £24 million in donations, and many millions more in pledged legacies.
