UK Wills & Probate Consumer Research Report 2024

Published in May 2024 (PDF format, 40 pages), The UK Wills & Probate Consumer Research Report 2024 analyses the findings from a consumer survey of 676 adults with a will and 280 adults involved in probate. It also asks a sample of adults without a will why they haven’t written one. This report follows similar reports in 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2023 and, where relevant, results from the latest survey are compared with previous years.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . 4
Overview. 4
No change in the ownership of wills across the age groups. 4
Law firms/solicitors still the main source for wills advice but use is slipping. 6
Largest percentage go back to a law firm they have used before. 6
Fixed fees consolidate their market dominance. 6
Growing interest in related services but actual use is still low. 7
Awareness of leading will writing brands growing. 7
Year-on-year increases in charitable donations. 8
Most adults find probate simple but one in four experience long delays. 8
Use of the MoJ probate portal continues to increase. 8
Fixed fees account for the majority of probate fees. 8
Mixed views on digital writing and witnessing of wills. 9
Confusion over will writing regulation. 9

Introduction . 9
Report coverage. 9
Methodology. 10

Background to the wills market . 12
Fewer than one in four adults have made a will. 12
Those not making a will – most have just not got round to it. 15

Legal Advisers Used . 17
New will writing services have emerged and share of law firms is slipping. 17
Most shop around before making a choice. 20
Consumers turn to law firms/solicitors used before and recommendations. 21

The Will Writing Process . 23
Fixed fees dominate, median fee £125. 23
Limited use of some related services. 27

Will Writing – Consumer Choices . 28
Increasing interest in services in related areas. 28
Increasing interest in charitable donations in wills, dealing with digital legacies. 29

WIll writing brands . 31
Cooperative Legal – the only brand recognised by a majority of consumers. 31

Will witnessing and Regulation . 33
Mixed views on online wills witnessing and confusion over regulation. 33

Dealing with Estate Administration . 35
Probate is simple for a clear majority but delays suffered by one in four. 35
Increasing use of the MOJ’s online probate portal, with over half now using. 37
Fixed fees now account for a clear majority of all probate advice fees. 37