If you don’t have a will, do you feel like you’re the only one, or do you perhaps not know many other people who do have them? While your age clearly plays into this–as people are more likely to write a will as they get older–it’s worth noting that it’s easy to fall into either group. Studies have shown that about half of all Americans have never written or filed a will.
This is at odds with what surveys have indicated people think they should do. For instance, in one study, it was found that only 44 percent of people had written wills already, but 60 percent of people said they thought everyone should have one.
There are 318.9 million people in the United States right now. If about half of them don’t have wills, that means that roughly 159.45 million people have not planned for what will happen to their estate after death. Many of them are children, naturally, but it still shows that there are many individuals who are unprepared.
So, why do people not write wills when they know that they should? Some aren’t worried about it because they are young and don’t expect to pass away for decades. However, most people just said it was too stressful. Some even said they had enough day-to-day issues to deal with–like paying monthly bills or buying groceries–to think about other issues that felt so far away.
The reality is that it’s never too soon to craft a will, and it’s very important for all people in New York to know how to legally get started.
Source: Daily Finance, “Why More Than Half of Americans Don’t Have Wills,” Sheryl Nance-Nash, accessed March 24, 2016
