Do I Need a Will in My 20s or 30s? UK Guide for Young Adults

Emma was 29 when she bought her first flat—a one-bedroom in Bristol for £215,000, scraped together with her boyfriend of five years and help from her parents. Three months later, she was killed by a drunk driver.

Because Emma and her boyfriend weren't married, UK intestacy law gave her entire estate—including her half of the property—to her parents. Her boyfriend, who'd contributed equally to the deposit and mortgage, inherited nothing. He had to either buy out her parents' share or sell the home they'd chosen together.

Emma's story is all too common. Over 56% of UK adults have no will, and the statistics are even worse for young adults. The assumption? "I'm too young," "I don't have enough assets," or "I'll get to it eventually."

But if you're unmarried, own property, have student debt, hold cryptocurrency, or simply want to choose who inherits your belongings, you're not too young—you're at exactly the right age to protect what matters.

This article will show you why young adults in their 20s and 30s need wills now, what happens if you die without one, and how to create a legally valid UK will in 15 minutes for £49.99.

Why Most People in Their 20s and 30s Don't Have Wills (And Why That's Changing)

Let's be honest: making a will feels like something your grandparents do, not something for people who still get ID'd at Tesco.

That cultural assumption runs deep. For generations, estate planning was something you put off until retirement, maybe prompted by a health scare or a 60th birthday. If you're in your 20s or 30s, a will probably feels about as urgent as arranging your own funeral.

But the numbers tell a different story.

According to the Money and Pensions Service, 56% of UK adults aged 18 and over haven't got a will—including 53% of adults aged 50-64. For people in their 20s and 30s, the percentage is even higher. If you die without a will, you die "intestate," meaning the government decides who inherits your assets according to rigid rules that almost certainly don't match your wishes.

Something's shifting, though. The COVID-19 pandemic forced young adults to confront mortality in a way previous generations didn't. Farewill, a UK will-writing service, reported a 12x increase in under-35s creating wills in April 2020 compared to December 2019. Death wasn't just something that happened to other people anymore.

But it's not just about COVID. Life in your 20s and 30s today looks fundamentally different than it did for your parents at the same age.

The 2021 census found 3.6 million cohabiting couples in the UK—up 144% since 1996. The proportion of people who live in a couple that are cohabiting increased from 20.6% in 2011 to 24.3% in 2021. More than half of children are now born to unmarried mothers. The traditional marriage-then-house-then-kids timeline has been completely rewritten.

The average first-time buyer is now 34 years old, with an average property value of £311,034 according to 2024 statistics. That's not pocket change—it's likely the single largest asset you'll ever own.

And then there are the assets previous generations never had to think about. 12% of UK adults now own cryptocurrency, up from just 4% in 2021. Your Instagram account with 50,000 followers has commercial value. Your online business generates real income.

The question isn't whether you're old enough to need a will. It's whether you can afford to leave your partner, your children, and your assets unprotected.

The Brutal Reality: What Happens If You Die Without a Will in Your 20s or 30s

Here's what intestacy means in practice: the government decides who inherits your estate based on a rigid hierarchy established in the Administration of Estates Act 1925, regardless of your wishes, your relationships, or the life you've built.

For young adults, the consequences are particularly devastating.

If You're Unmarried

Sarah and Dev bought a £250,000 flat together as tenants in common, each owning 50%. They'd been together eight years, shared finances, talked about marriage "eventually."

When Dev died suddenly of an undiagnosed heart condition at 31, Sarah discovered that under UK intestacy law, she had no legal right to his share of their home.

None.

It didn't matter that they'd lived together for nearly a decade. It didn't matter that she'd supported him through his master's degree. It didn't matter that they'd chosen the flat together, painted every room, planned their future there.

Dev's £125,000 share of the property went to his parents. Sarah faced a heartbreaking choice: somehow come up with £125,000 to buy them out, or sell the home where she'd expected to spend her life.

This isn't some obscure legal technicality. Under UK intestacy law, unmarried partners have no automatic inheritance rights. Your entire estate goes to your parents if they're alive, then to your siblings, then to more distant relatives—before your partner sees a penny.

And here's the thing: 49% of cohabiting couples believe in "common law marriage", thinking that living together for a certain period automatically grants legal rights. It doesn't. Common law marriage doesn't exist in England and Wales, regardless of how many years you've lived together or whether you have children together.

If You Have Children

Jake and Sophie were both 28 when they died in a car accident, leaving their two-year-old daughter behind.

They'd never made wills. They'd never appointed guardians. They'd assumed Sophie's sister—who lived nearby and adored their daughter—would naturally raise her.

Instead, the courts got involved. Jake's parents, who lived 200 miles away and had significant health issues, applied to become guardians because they filed paperwork first. Sophie's sister had to hire a solicitor and fight for custody of her own niece during the worst grief of her life.

The court process took 14 months. Jake's parents were eventually deemed unsuitable due to their health, but the delay, the legal costs, and the family trauma were entirely preventable.

Under Section 5 of the Children Act 1989, parents with parental responsibility can appoint testamentary guardians in their will. Without that appointment, courts decide based on what they believe is in the child's best interest—which may not align with what you would have chosen.

Here's something critical for unmarried fathers: if you're not named on your child's birth certificate or don't have parental responsibility through other legal means, you cannot appoint a guardian at all. Your partner's will could appoint someone, but if she dies and you don't have parental responsibility, you have no legal say in your own child's care.

If You Own Property

The average first-time buyer in the UK is now 34 years old, paying an average of £311,034 for their first home. If you own property in your 20s or 30s—even if it's mortgaged, even if you own it with someone else—intestacy can force its sale.

If you own property as "tenants in common" (where you each own a specific percentage), your share doesn't automatically pass to your co-owner when you die. Under intestacy, your share goes through the rigid hierarchy: spouse first (if you're married), then children, then parents, then siblings.

If you're unmarried and your name is on the deed, your partner could lose the home you bought together. If you have children but no will specifying how your estate should be managed for their benefit, they inherit at 18—which means your property might need to be held in trust with court-appointed trustees until then.

The Intestacy Hierarchy

Here's exactly who inherits when you die without a will in England and Wales:

If you're married or in a civil partnership:

Spouse inherits everything if you have no children
If you have children, spouse gets first £322,000 plus personal belongings plus half of everything else; children inherit the other half (held in trust until age 18)

If you're unmarried:

Your partner inherits nothing
Children inherit everything (held in trust until age 18)
If no children: parents inherit everything
If no parents: siblings inherit equally
If no siblings: half-siblings inherit
Then nieces/nephews, then grandparents, then aunts/uncles, then cousins
If no relatives can be found: everything goes to the Crown

What About Your Debts?

Your estate must settle all debts before distributing anything to beneficiaries. If you have £48,470 in student loans (the average for 2024 graduates in England), those debts don't just disappear.

The good news: most UK student loans are written off on death. The bad news: other debts aren't. Credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, car finance—all must be paid from your estate first.

If your debts exceed your assets, your beneficiaries inherit nothing. But even if you have positive net worth, those debts reduce what your loved ones receive.

"But I Don't Have Anything Worth Protecting"—Think Again

This is the objection we hear most often. You're young, you rent, you're still paying off student loans. What's the point?

Let's do the maths.

Tom, 31, genuinely believed he had "nothing worth protecting." He rented a flat, drove a modest car, had some savings. When we asked him to actually list his assets, here's what we found:

25% share of a £200,000 property he'd bought with two friends: £50,000
Savings account: £12,000
Car: £8,000
Life insurance through his employer: £60,000
Pension pot from five years of work: £15,000
Personal belongings (laptop, phone, furniture, guitar collection): £3,000

Total estate value: £148,000

Tom nearly fell off his chair. He wasn't wealthy, but he wasn't starting from zero either.

Here's what young adults typically underestimate:

Property Equity

Even if you only own 10% of a £300,000 property, that's £30,000. Even if there's a mortgage, your share of the equity matters. If you die intestate, that share goes through the intestacy rules—which means your unmarried partner could be forced to buy out your parents or sell.

Life Insurance

Many employers provide death-in-service benefits as standard—often 2-4x your annual salary. If you earn £30,000, that's £60,000-£120,000 your family receives. Without a will specifying who inherits, intestacy decides.

Pensions

Your workplace pension might feel tiny now, but if you've been auto-enrolled for several years, you could have £10,000-£20,000 or more. Many pension schemes ask you to nominate beneficiaries, but if you haven't, it becomes part of your estate.

Digital Assets

This is where millennials and Gen Z have more to protect than any previous generation:

Cryptocurrency: 12% of UK adults own crypto, and the UK's Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill 2024 now recognizes cryptocurrency and NFTs as personal property. If you hold Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other crypto worth hundreds or thousands of pounds, that's an asset—but only if someone can access your private keys after you die.
Social media accounts: If you're an influencer with 50,000 Instagram followers, your account has genuine commercial value. Even if you're not making money, your social media accounts contain photos, messages, and memories your family might want to preserve.
Online businesses: Shopify stores, Etsy shops, affiliate marketing income, domain names—these generate real money and have real value.
Digital photo libraries: Your iCloud account with 10 years of photos, your Google Drive with every document you've ever created—without proper planning, your family may lose access forever.

Savings and Belongings

Even £5,000-£10,000 in savings matters when it comes to inheritance. Your gaming PC might be worth £2,000. Your vinyl collection could be worth £1,500. Your grandmother's engagement ring is irreplaceable.

Without a will, intestacy rules decide who gets everything. Your gaming equipment might end up with a distant uncle who doesn't even know what Steam is. Your grandmother's ring might go to a sibling who never met her.

The Student Debt Reality

Let's address this directly: if you have £48,470 in student loans (the average for 2024 graduates in England), you might assume your "estate" is actually negative.

Good news: Student Loans Company writes off your student debt when you die. It doesn't get passed to your family, and it doesn't get paid from your estate.

But other debts do. Credit cards, personal loans, car finance—those must be settled before anyone inherits. A will lets you specify how your estate should be managed, including how debts get paid and what happens to any remaining assets.

Quick calculation: Add up your property equity + savings + vehicle + life insurance + pension + belongings. You probably just discovered you have an estate worth £50,000-£150,000 or more. That's worth protecting.

The 5 Situations Where Young Adults Absolutely Need a Will

Let's get specific. You need a will if any of these apply to you:

1. You're in an Unmarried Relationship

This is the single biggest reason young adults need wills.

3.6 million couples in the UK are cohabiting, and that number has grown 144% since 1996. The proportion of cohabiting couples jumped from 20.6% in 2011 to 24.3% in 2021.

Yet 49% of cohabiting couples wrongly believe in "common law marriage"—thinking that living together for a certain number of years grants them the same legal rights as married couples.

It doesn't. England and Wales abolished common law marriage in 1753. It has zero legal standing today.

If you die without a will, your unmarried partner inherits nothing. Zero. It doesn't matter if you've been together 10 years, bought a house together, or have children together. Under intestacy law, you're legal strangers.

Your entire estate goes to your parents (if alive), then siblings, then more distant relatives—before your partner receives a penny.

There's a legal mechanism called the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 that allows unmarried partners to make claims on an estate if they've cohabited for at least two years. But it requires going to court, hiring solicitors, and proving financial dependency during the worst grief of your life. It's expensive, uncertain, and traumatic.

The only way to protect your unmarried partner is through a will. That's it. That's the only legal protection they have.

2. You Own Property (Even With a Partner or Parents)

If your name is on a property deed—whether you own 10% or 100%, whether it's with a romantic partner or friends or family—you need a will.

The average first-time buyer in the UK is 34 years old, paying an average of £311,034. Many young adults buy with partners, friends, or parents to make homeownership possible.

How you own property matters enormously:

Joint tenants: You each own 100% of the property together. When one owner dies, the property automatically passes to the surviving owner(s), regardless of what your will says. This is common for married couples.

Tenants in common: You each own a specific percentage (usually 50/50, but could be 25/75 or any split). When you die, your share does NOT automatically go to the co-owner—it passes according to your will or, if you have no will, through intestacy.

If you're unmarried and own property as tenants in common, intestacy could mean your share goes to your parents or siblings, forcing your partner to either buy them out or sell your shared home.

Even if you're married, if you have children from a previous relationship, intestacy might not distribute your estate the way you'd want. A will ensures your property goes to the right people.

3. You Have Children or Plan to Soon

If you have children or you're pregnant, you need a will. Full stop.

Over 51% of children in England and Wales are now born to unmarried mothers, reflecting massive changes in how families form.

Here's what happens if both parents die without appointing guardians: the courts decide who raises your children. Not your family. Not your wishes. The courts.

Under Section 5 of the Children Act 1989, any parent with parental responsibility can appoint a testamentary guardian in their will. The statement can be as simple as: "In accordance with Section 5 of the Children Act 1989 I appoint [name] to be the guardian of my child [name]."

Critical point for unmarried fathers: If you don't have parental responsibility, you cannot appoint a guardian. You get parental responsibility if you're named on the birth certificate (for births registered after December 2003), if the mother signs a parental responsibility agreement, or if the court grants a parental responsibility order.

Appointing guardians isn't just about custody—it's about money too. Guardians don't automatically get access to your assets to raise your children. Your will needs to specify how your estate should be held in trust and distributed for your children's benefit until they're old enough to inherit directly.

Who would you choose to raise your children? Your sister who lives nearby and shares your values? Your best friend who's brilliant with kids? Your parents despite their age?

Without a will, you don't get to choose. The courts do.

4. You Have Specific Wishes for Belongings or Digital Assets

Maybe you want your best friend to have your vinyl collection. Your sister should get your grandmother's jewelry. Your partner should inherit your car.

Without a will, intestacy divides everything according to fixed percentages. Your belongings get lumped together and distributed to whoever is highest in the hierarchy. Your best friend gets nothing—they're not a blood relative.

This matters even more for digital assets:

The UK's Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill 2024 recognizes cryptocurrency, NFTs, and digital assets as personal property. If you own Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other crypto, that's a legitimate asset that needs to pass to someone—but only if they have your private keys.

Your crypto is permanently inaccessible without those keys. Your will should provide instructions (safely stored, not the actual keys in the will itself) for how your executor can access your digital assets.

Social media accounts, online businesses, domain names, gaming accounts with valuable skins—previous generations never had to think about these, but they're real assets with real value for people in their 20s and 30s.

5. You Want to Avoid Family Conflict

Here's something nobody talks about: families fall apart over money.

When the government decides who inherits, people fight. Siblings who were close become estranged. Parents sue their children's partners. Disputes drag through courts for years.

Young adults often have complicated family situations: divorced parents, estranged siblings, step-families, chosen family who aren't blood relatives. Intestacy law doesn't account for any of that nuance.

A will is a gift to your family. It removes the guesswork. It prevents the fights. It makes the worst time of their lives just a little bit easier because they know exactly what you wanted.

Even if none of these situations apply to you right now, life changes fast. You meet someone. You move in together. You buy property. You get pregnant. Creating a will at 25 takes 15 minutes. Updating it when life changes is simple. Not having one at all? That's the real risk.

Special Considerations for Unmarried Couples in Their 20s and 30s

Let's be very clear about something: if you're unmarried, your partner has no legal rights to your estate under UK law. None.

This deserves its own section because it's the single biggest vulnerability for young adults, and it's based on a widespread misunderstanding.

49% of cohabiting couples believe in "common law marriage"—thinking that if you live together for a certain period (usually people say "two years" or "seven years"), you automatically gain the same legal rights as married couples.

This is completely false. Common law marriage doesn't exist in England and Wales. It was abolished in 1753. You could live together for 40 years, have five children together, share every aspect of your finances—and under intestacy law, you're still legal strangers.

3.6 million couples in the UK are cohabiting, up 144% since 1996. This is the fastest-growing family type in the country. Yet the law hasn't kept pace with social change.

Property: The Biggest Risk

Leah and Marcus bought a £280,000 house together as tenants in common, each owning 50%. They'd been together nine years. They had a daughter. They split the mortgage payments equally.

Marcus died at 34 from sudden cardiac arrest. Because they weren't married and Marcus had no will, his £140,000 share of their home went to his parents under intestacy law.

Leah—grieving, caring for their daughter alone—discovered she had three options:

Come up with £140,000 to buy out Marcus's parents
Sell the house and split the proceeds 50/50 with his parents
Continue living there but pay rent to Marcus's parents for their half

She couldn't afford option 1. Option 2 meant uprooting their daughter during the worst trauma of her life. Option 3 meant paying rent in her own home to Marcus's parents while still paying half the mortgage.

She hired a solicitor to make a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. It took 18 months and cost £12,000 in legal fees. Eventually, she reached a settlement—but the relationship with Marcus's parents never recovered, and her daughter lost her grandparents on top of losing her father.

All of this was entirely preventable. A £49.99 will would have specified that Marcus's share of the property went to Leah.

Financial Scenarios

Ben supported his partner through her PhD. For four years, he paid most of the rent, bought most of the groceries, covered most of the bills so she could focus on her research. She always said she'd "make it up to him" when she got a job.

She died in a cycling accident six months after finishing her doctorate, right before starting a well-paid position. She had £45,000 in savings, a £50,000 life insurance policy, and no will.

Ben inherited nothing. Her parents—who she rarely spoke to, who hadn't supported her decision to pursue a PhD—inherited her entire £95,000 estate under intestacy law.

Ben had no legal standing. The courts didn't care that he'd financially supported her for years or that they'd planned to get married. Unmarried partners have no automatic rights.

Inheritance Tax Considerations

Here's another way marriage and unmarried partnerships differ dramatically: inheritance tax.

The inheritance tax threshold is £325,000 (or £500,000 if you're passing your home to direct descendants). Anything above that is taxed at 40%.

But married couples and civil partners are exempt. You can pass unlimited wealth to your spouse with zero inheritance tax.

Unmarried partners get no exemption. If your estate is worth £400,000 and you leave it to your unmarried partner, they pay 40% tax on the £75,000 above the threshold—that's £30,000 gone to HMRC.

The Only Protections You Have

If you're unmarried and living together, here are your only legal protections:

1. A will specifying your partner as beneficiary

This is non-negotiable. It's the only way to ensure your partner inherits.

2. Joint tenancy for property

If you own property as joint tenants (not tenants in common), the property automatically passes to the surviving owner regardless of your will. But this ONLY covers property—not savings, life insurance, pensions, or belongings.

3. Beneficiary nominations on pensions and life insurance

Most pension schemes and life insurance policies let you nominate beneficiaries outside your will. If you're unmarried, check these regularly and make sure your partner is named.

But here's the thing: relying on beneficiary nominations is risky. People forget. Policies change. You switch jobs and don't update your new pension. A will creates a comprehensive plan that covers everything.

If you're unmarried and living together, a will isn't optional. It's the only legal protection your partner has. Don't assume the law will protect your relationship. It won't.

What About Guardianship? Protecting Your Children If You Die Young

Nothing feels more impossible to think about than leaving your children behind.

But if you have kids in your 20s or 30s, you need to confront this: if both parents die without appointing guardians, the courts decide who raises your children.

Not your family. Not your friends. Not what you would have wanted. The courts.

How Guardianship Works Under UK Law

Section 5 of the Children Act 1989 governs testamentary guardianship—the process of appointing someone to care for your children if you die.

Any parent with parental responsibility can appoint a guardian in their will. The appointment can be simple: "In accordance with Section 5 of the Children Act 1989 I appoint [full name] to be the guardian of my child [full name]."

When you die, the person you've appointed gains parental responsibility for your child. They make decisions about education, healthcare, where your child lives—everything.

But here's the critical part: this only works if you have parental responsibility in the first place.

The Unmarried Father Problem

If you're an unmarried father, you don't automatically have parental responsibility.

You get parental responsibility if:

You're named on the birth certificate (for births registered after December 2003)
The mother signs a parental responsibility agreement
The court grants a parental responsibility order

If you don't have parental responsibility, you cannot appoint a guardian in your will. Even if you're actively raising your child, even if you're listed on the birth certificate (for births registered before December 2003), even if you've been together for years—without parental responsibility, you have no legal say in who raises your child if your partner dies.

If you're an unmarried father and you're not certain you have parental responsibility, check. Get a parental responsibility agreement signed or apply for a court order. Then make a will appointing guardians.

Who Should You Choose as Guardian?

This is the decision that stops parents from making wills. You agonize. You worry about offending family members. You can't decide.

Here's what to consider:

Age and energy: Will they have the physical energy to raise young children? Are they likely to outlive your children's childhood?

Location: Would your children need to move? Change schools? Leave their friends?

Values: Do they share your approach to parenting, education, religion?

Financial stability: Can they afford to raise your children? (Your will should provide financial support, but day-to-day stability matters.)

Relationship with your children: Do your kids know them? Love them? Feel safe with them?

Willingness: Have you actually asked them? Some people would be honored. Others would feel they couldn't cope.

Emma and her husband spent three years avoiding making wills because they couldn't choose between Emma's sister (who was single and worked long hours) and the husband's parents (who were loving but in their 70s).

Here's what finally helped: They realized they could appoint Emma's sister as primary guardian and set up a trust that provided financial support for her to reduce her work hours. They appointed a backup guardian (the husband's brother) in case the sister couldn't serve.

Once they stopped looking for the "perfect" choice and started looking for the "best available" choice, the decision became manageable.

Appoint Backups

What if your first choice can't serve? What if they die before you do, or become ill, or move abroad?

Appoint at least one backup guardian. Your will should say: "I appoint [name] as guardian of my children. If [name] is unable or unwilling to serve, I appoint [backup name]."

Financial Provision for Your Children

Here's something many young parents don't realize: guardians don't automatically get access to your money to raise your children.

If you leave your estate to your children directly, they can't inherit until they're 18 (or whatever age you specify, up to 25). In the meantime, your estate is held in trust.

Without instructions in your will, the court appoints trustees to manage the money. Those trustees might not be the same people raising your children, which creates conflict and complexity.

Your will should specify:

Who the guardians are
How your estate should be held in trust for your children's benefit
Who manages the trust (often the guardians themselves)
What the money can be used for (education, healthcare, general living expenses)
When your children inherit outright (18, 21, 25?)

The Real Cost of Not Deciding

Sophie and Jake were both 28 when they died in a car accident. Their two-year-old daughter survived.

They'd talked about making wills. They'd agreed Sophie's sister should be guardian. They just never got around to actually writing it down.

Because they had no will, Sophie's sister had no automatic legal right to raise her niece. Jake's parents applied to become guardians first. The case went to court.

For 14 months, Sophie's sister fought for custody while Jake's parents argued they should raise their granddaughter. Legal costs exceeded £8,000. The emotional trauma split the family permanently.

Eventually, the court appointed Sophie's sister as guardian—exactly what Sophie and Jake would have wanted. But it took more than a year, cost thousands of pounds, and caused irreparable damage to family relationships.

A will would have prevented all of it.

If you have children under 18, making a will and appointing guardians is the single most important legal task you'll ever do. It takes 15 minutes. Don't wait.

Digital Assets and Modern Estates: What Young Adults Need to Include

Your estate isn't just property, savings, and physical belongings anymore.

If you're in your 20s or 30s, you probably have digital assets worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds—assets that previous generations never had to consider in estate planning.

Cryptocurrency and NFTs

12% of UK adults now own cryptocurrency, up from just 4% in 2021. The average value held is £1,842, but plenty of young adults hold significantly more.

The UK's Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill 2024 formally recognizes cryptocurrency, NFTs, and carbon credits as personal property. That means crypto is part of your estate and passes to beneficiaries like any other asset—but only if they can access it.

Here's the problem: cryptocurrency only exists as private keys. If you hold Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other crypto in a self-custody wallet (not on an exchange), your assets are controlled by a long alphanumeric string that unlocks your wallet.

Without that private key, your crypto is permanently inaccessible. It doesn't matter if your family knows you had £50,000 in Bitcoin—if they can't find your private keys, that £50,000 is gone forever.

Your will should:

List significant cryptocurrency holdings
Specify who inherits them
Provide instructions for how your executor can access your private keys (stored securely, never written directly in your will)

Many people use hardware wallets (like Ledger or Trezor) or password managers to store private keys. Your will should tell your executor where to find these devices and how to access them.

Social Media Accounts

Your Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Twitter/X account might have commercial value if you're an influencer or content creator. Even if you're not making money, your accounts contain photos, videos, messages, and memories your family might want to preserve.

Most social media platforms have their own policies for "memorializing" or closing accounts after death. Facebook lets you appoint a "legacy contact" who can manage your memorialized account. Instagram and Twitter have processes for family members to request account closure or memorialization.

But without a will specifying who should have access and what should happen to your accounts, platforms default to their standard procedures—which might not match your wishes.

If you're a content creator earning income from your social media presence, your accounts have real commercial value. Your will should specify who inherits that income stream and who gets control of the accounts.

Online Businesses and Digital Products

Do you run a Shopify store? Sell on Etsy? Have an affiliate marketing website? Own valuable domain names? These are business assets that generate income and have resale value.

Without a will, these assets fall into intestacy like everything else—which could mean your carefully built online business ends up controlled by someone who has no idea how to run it or that it even exists.

Your will should:

List significant online businesses or income streams
Specify who inherits them
Provide access information (where login credentials are stored)
Give instructions about whether they should be maintained, sold, or shut down

Digital Photo Libraries and Files

You probably have thousands of photos in iCloud, Google Photos, or Dropbox. Documents in Google Drive. Videos you've filmed over the years.

When you die, your family may lose access to all of it unless they have your login credentials and the legal authority to access your accounts.

Apple, Google, Microsoft, and other tech companies have varying policies about account access after death. Some require court orders. Some delete accounts after periods of inactivity. Some allow family members to request data archives.

Your will should tell your executor where your important digital files are stored and how to access them. Many people use password managers like 1Password or Bitwarden—make sure your executor knows how to access your password manager.

Gaming Accounts and Virtual Items

Your Steam library might have hundreds of games worth thousands of pounds. Your World of Warcraft account might have rare items. Your Counter-Strike skins could be worth actual money.

Most gaming platforms' terms of service say your account isn't transferable and technically can't be inherited. In practice, if someone has your login credentials, they have access to your account.

If you have gaming accounts with significant financial or sentimental value, include them in your will and provide access information.

Subscriptions and Recurring Payments

This isn't about inheritance—it's about cleanup. You probably have a dozen subscriptions: Netflix, Spotify, Adobe Creative Cloud, meal kit services, gym memberships, app subscriptions.

When you die, these keep billing unless someone cancels them. Over months, they can drain hundreds from your estate.

Your will should tell your executor where to find a list of your subscriptions (many people keep this in a password manager or spreadsheet) so they can cancel them promptly.

What to Include in Your Will

For digital assets, your will should:

List significant digital assets: Cryptocurrency, social media accounts, online businesses, valuable domains
Specify beneficiaries: Who inherits what
Provide access instructions: Where your password manager is, where your hardware wallet is stored, where your private keys are backed up
Consider a letter of wishes: A separate document (not legally binding but guides your executor) with detailed instructions for accessing and managing digital assets

Important: Don't write your actual passwords or private keys in your will. Wills become public documents when they go through probate. Instead, provide instructions for where your executor can find your password manager or stored credentials.

The generation born before the internet never had to think about any of this. You do. Digital assets are real assets, and they need to be part of your estate plan.

"I'll Do It Later"—Why Waiting Is Riskier Than You Think

You're busy. You're young. You're healthy. Making a will can wait until next month, next year, when you have more time, when you're older.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: people in their 20s and 30s die.

According to Office for National Statistics data, thousands of people aged 20-39 die annually in England and Wales from accidents, sudden illness, undiagnosed conditions, and other unexpected causes.

Nobody plans to die young. Emma didn't plan to be killed by a drunk driver at 29. Dev didn't know he had a heart condition. Jake and Sophie didn't expect their car journey to end in tragedy.

The Pandemic Changed the Conversation

COVID-19 forced young, healthy people to confront mortality in a way we never had before. Suddenly, the news was full of 30-year-olds in ICU, people with no underlying conditions dying unexpectedly.

Farewill reported a 12x increase in under-35s creating wills in April 2020 compared to December 2019. For the first time in generations, young adults stopped assuming they were invincible.

But as the immediate threat faded, so did the urgency. We're back to assuming it won't happen to us.

The Real Cost of Delay

Ben kept meaning to make a will. He was 32, healthy, active. He and his partner had talked about it. They'd even looked at online services. They just never got around to actually completing it.

He died of an undiagnosed heart condition while out running. No warning. No time to prepare.

His partner of 10 years spent £8,000 on legal fees trying to make a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. It took 14 months. She lost their shared home anyway because Ben's parents, who legally inherited everything under intestacy, needed to sell it to cover inheritance tax.

The emotional trauma was immense. The financial cost was devastating. All of it was preventable with a £49.99 will that would have taken 15 minutes to complete.

Why People Procrastinate

Let's be honest about the real reasons you haven't made a will yet:

"It's morbid"

It feels uncomfortable to think about your own death, especially when you're young. But here's a better way to think about it: making a will is a gift to the people you love. It removes the burden of making impossible decisions during their worst grief. It protects them from financial hardship and legal battles. That's not morbid—it's one of the kindest things you can do.

"It's expensive"

If you're imagining £650+ for a solicitor, you're right to hesitate. But online will services like WUHLD cost £49.99—less than a nice dinner out. The cost of not having a will (legal fees to fight intestacy, family disputes, lost property) runs into thousands of pounds.

"It's complicated"

You're imagining intimidating legal documents, confusing terminology, multiple appointments. In reality, creating a will online takes about 15 minutes—less time than choosing something to watch on Netflix. You answer straightforward questions, preview your complete will, and pay only when you're satisfied. It's simpler than opening a bank account.

"My situation will change"

This is actually a reason to make a will now, not delay. Life changes fast in your 20s and 30s. You meet someone, move in together, buy property, have kids. But here's the thing: you can update your will whenever your circumstances change. WUHLD lets you update easily. Having a will today that you update in two years is infinitely better than having nothing at all.

Your Most Active Years Are Your Riskiest

Think about what you do in your 20s and 30s that you probably won't do in your 60s:

Travel to adventurous destinations
Drive frequently (commuting, road trips, daily errands)
Play sports or do adventure activities
Work in physically demanding jobs
Live in shared housing with more health risks

You're statistically more likely to die in a car accident in your 30s than in your 60s simply because you're on the road more. You're more likely to die in an adventure sports accident because you're actually doing those activities.

Creating a will early gives you peace of mind during your most active, risk-exposed years.

The Pandemic Reminder

COVID-19 taught us that young, healthy people can die unexpectedly. We saw 30-year-olds with no underlying conditions end up in ICU. We saw families devastated by sudden loss.

The virus is no longer the immediate threat it was, but the lesson remains: none of us know how long we have. The best time to protect your loved ones was yesterday. The second-best time is today.

How to Create a Legal Will in Your 20s or 30s (It's Easier Than You Think)

You don't need a law degree to create a valid will in the UK. You just need to meet a few straightforward legal requirements.

UK Legal Requirements for a Valid Will

Under the Wills Act 1837, your will must:

✓ You must be 18 or over – Perfect for anyone in their 20s or 30s

✓ Made voluntarily – You make it of your own free will, not under pressure or coercion

✓ Made of sound mind – You understand what you're doing and the implications

✓ Made in writing – Oral wills generally aren't valid in England and Wales (with very limited exceptions for military personnel)

✓ Signed by you – Your signature makes the will legally binding

✓ Signed in the presence of two witnesses – Both must be present together when you sign, and they must be 18 or over

✓ Witnesses must sign in your presence – They don't need to sign in each other's presence, just in yours

Critical witness rules:

Witnesses cannot be beneficiaries in your will
Witnesses cannot be married to or in a civil partnership with beneficiaries
If a witness is a beneficiary, the will is still valid but their gift fails (they inherit nothing)
Remote witnessing (via video call) ended in January 2024—witnesses must be physically present

These requirements exist to prevent fraud and ensure you genuinely intended to create a will. But they're not complicated. People meet them every day.

Your Three Options for Creating a Will

Option 1: Use a Solicitor

Cost: £650-£1,200+ for a straightforward will (more for complex estates)

Time: 2-4 weeks typically, with at least one in-person or video appointment

Best for: Complex estates with overseas property, business partnerships, significant inheritance tax planning (estates over £325,000-£500,000), complicated family situations, disabled dependents needing special trusts

Downsides: Expensive and slow for straightforward situations. Most people in their 20s and 30s don't have estates complex enough to justify solicitor fees.

Option 2: DIY Free Templates

Cost: Free

Time: 1-2 hours

Best for: Extremely simple estates (single person with minimal assets, everything to one beneficiary)

Downsides: High risk of errors. Free templates don't guide you through what to include or warn you about common mistakes. You might accidentally invalidate your will by having a beneficiary witness it. You might forget critical elements like guardianship appointments or residuary clauses. You might use ambiguous language that causes disputes. If your DIY will is challenged, you've saved £50 upfront but cost your estate thousands in legal fees.

Option 3: Online Will Services (Like WUHLD)

Cost: £49.99 one-time payment (no subscriptions, no hidden fees)

Time: 15 minutes

Best for: Straightforward estates—which includes most people in their 20s and 30s

What you get with WUHLD:

Your complete, legally binding will
12-page Testator Guide explaining how to execute your will properly
Witness Guide to give to your witnesses
Complete Asset Inventory document to track what you own

How it works:

Answer simple questions online about your assets, beneficiaries, executors, and guardians
Preview your complete will free—see exactly what your final document looks like
Pay £49.99 only when you're ready to download
Sign your will in front of two witnesses following the included instructions

Benefits:

Guided process prevents common errors
Clear explanations of legal terms
Covers everything young adults need: executors, beneficiaries, guardianship, digital assets, funeral wishes, residuary estate
No recurring subscription fees (some services charge annually)
Update anytime as life changes

What WUHLD Covers (Perfect for Young Adults)

Our online platform guides you through everything you need:

Executors: The people who carry out your will, handle your estate, and ensure your wishes are followed

Beneficiaries: Who inherits what—you can specify exact items ("my vinyl collection to my brother") or percentages of your estate

Guardians: Who raises your children if you die (if you have children under 18)

Digital assets: Where your cryptocurrency is held, who inherits your online accounts

Property: How your property share should be distributed

Residuary estate: The "everything else" clause that covers anything not specifically mentioned

Funeral wishes: Burial or cremation, specific requests (though these aren't legally binding, they guide your family)

When You Might Need a Solicitor Instead

WUHLD is designed for straightforward estates. You might need a solicitor if:

You own property outside the UK
You own a business with multiple partners requiring specific succession planning
You want to set up complex trusts (beyond simple trusts for children)
Your estate exceeds £325,000-£500,000 and you need sophisticated inheritance tax planning
You have disabled dependents who need special trusts for means-tested benefits
Your family situation is highly contentious and you anticipate will challenges

For most people in their 20s and 30s—even those with property, children, unmarried partners, and digital assets—an online will service provides everything you need at a fraction of the cost.

How to Choose Between Options

Ask yourself:

Do I own overseas property or complex business structures? → Solicitor
Is my estate very simple (under £10,000, one beneficiary, no children)? → DIY might work, but online is safer
Do I have a typical estate (property, savings, pension, belongings, maybe children)? → Online service like WUHLD

The goal isn't to create the most elaborate will possible. The goal is to create a legally valid will that protects your loved ones and can be executed without expensive legal battles. For most young adults, online services achieve that perfectly for £49.99 and 15 minutes of your time.

What to Include in Your Will as a Young Adult

When you create your will—whether through WUHLD or another service—here's what you need to think about:

1. Executors (The People Who Carry Out Your Will)

Your executors handle your estate after you die: collecting assets, paying debts, distributing inheritances, dealing with paperwork.

Choose wisely:

Pick someone organized, trustworthy, and good with paperwork
Choose at least two (in case one can't serve)
They must be 18 or over
They can be beneficiaries (often your partner or a sibling)
Ideally choose people younger than you or around your age
Consider: best friend, sibling, partner, parent, trusted cousin

What executors do:

Apply for probate
Close bank accounts and collect assets
Pay outstanding debts and taxes
Distribute inheritances according to your will
Handle selling property if needed

It's a significant responsibility but not impossibly complicated for straightforward estates. Most people choose a combination of family and friends they trust.

2. Beneficiaries (Who Inherits What)

Be specific about who gets what:

Specific gifts: "My vinyl record collection to my brother James Smith" or "My grandmother's engagement ring to my niece Emma Jones"

Property: "My 50% share of the property at [address] to my partner Sarah Williams"

Percentages: "50% of my estate to my partner, 25% to my brother, 25% to my sister"

Charity donations: "£1,000 to Dogs Trust (registered charity number 227523)"

Backup beneficiaries: What happens if your primary beneficiary dies before you? "If my partner Sarah Williams predeceases me, her share goes to my brother James Smith"

3. Guardians (If You Have Children Under 18)

Appoint at least one guardian and one backup:

"In accordance with Section 5 of the Children Act 1989 I appoint my sister Emma Johnson to be guardian of my children. If Emma Johnson is unable or unwilling to serve, I appoint my best friend Sarah Williams."

Critical:

Discuss this with your chosen guardians first—don't surprise them
Specify how your estate should be managed for your children's benefit
Consider whether guardians need financial support to raise your kids

4. Digital Assets and Access Information

List your significant digital assets:

"I own cryptocurrency held in hardware wallet stored in safe deposit box at [bank]. My executor should contact [email] for access instructions."

"My Instagram account @username should be transferred to my partner [name]."

"My online business [URL] generates monthly income and should be transferred to [name]."

Don't write actual passwords or private keys in your will—just provide enough information for your executor to locate access credentials (typically stored in a password manager).

5. Property and Vehicles

If you own property (even partially), specify what happens to your share:

"My 50% share of the property at [full address] passes to my partner [full name]."

If you own property as joint tenants, it automatically passes to the surviving owner regardless of your will—but specify it anyway for clarity.

For vehicles: "My car (registration number XX00 XXX) passes to my brother [name]."

6. Personal Belongings With Sentimental or Monetary Value

Prevent family disputes by being specific:

"My gaming PC and gaming account (username: XXX) to my best friend [name]"

"My jewelry collection to my sister [name]"

"My musical instruments to my nephew [name]"

"My book collection to be divided equally between [name] and [name]"

These might seem like small things, but family disputes over sentimental items cause immense pain. Specifying who gets what prevents fights during grief.

7. Funeral Wishes (Optional)

You can include preferences for burial or cremation, whether you want a religious service, specific music, charitable donations in lieu of flowers.

Important: Funeral wishes in a will are not legally binding. They guide your family, but they can choose differently. If you have strong feelings, discuss them with your family in advance and consider writing a separate letter of wishes.

8. Residuary Estate (Critical!)

This is the "everything else" clause—anything not specifically mentioned in your will.

Never leave this blank. Your residuary clause catches anything you forgot to mention, anything you acquire after writing your will, and anything that doesn't fit into specific gifts.

Common residuary clauses:

"I leave the residue of my estate to my partner [full name]."

"I leave the residue of my estate to be divided equally between [name], [name], and [name]."

"I leave the residue of my estate to be held in trust for my children until they reach age 25, at which point it should be distributed equally between them."

Don't Forget: Update Your Will When Life Changes

Your will isn't set in stone forever. You should review and update it when:

You get married or enter a civil partnership (marriage automatically revokes previous wills unless made "in contemplation of marriage")
You get divorced or dissolve a civil partnership
You have children
Your children turn 18
You buy property
Your financial situation changes significantly
You move countries
A beneficiary or executor dies
Your relationship with beneficiaries changes

With WUHLD, updating is straightforward. Don't treat your will as a "set it and forget it" document—review it every few years and update as needed.

Start Protecting What Matters Today

Let's recap what you've learned:

You're not too young: If you're unmarried, own property, have children, or want control over your belongings, you need a will now. Over 56% of UK adults have no will—don't be part of that statistic.

Intestacy laws don't protect modern families: UK law gives unmarried partners nothing, even after decades together. Your partner, your children, and your digital assets need your protection through a legally valid will. 3.6 million cohabiting couples in the UK are vulnerable without wills.

You have more to protect than you think: Between property equity, savings, pensions, life insurance, and digital assets, most people in their 20s and 30s have £50,000-£150,000+ estates. Even £48,470 in student loans (the average for 2024 graduates) doesn't eliminate the need for a will—student debt is written off on death, but other debts get paid from your estate before loved ones inherit.

Creating a will is simpler than you imagine: 15 minutes online for £49.99 vs weeks and £650+ with a solicitor. You can preview everything free before paying, update it whenever life changes, and have complete peace of mind tonight.

The cost of delay is too high: Thousands of people aged 20-39 die unexpectedly in England and Wales annually. The emotional and financial trauma of intestacy—partners losing homes, courts choosing guardians, families fighting—is entirely preventable.

You're building a life: a career, a home, a relationship, maybe a family. A will isn't about death—it's about protecting everything you're creating right now.

The 15 minutes you spend today could save the people you love from months of legal battles, financial hardship, and preventable heartbreak.

Create your legal UK will tonight with WUHLD. Answer simple questions online in 15 minutes, preview your complete will free (no credit card required), and pay just £49.99 when you're ready—no subscriptions, no hidden fees.

You'll receive your full will plus a 12-page Testator Guide, Witness Guide, and Complete Asset Inventory document. Everything you need to protect your loved ones and have peace of mind by bedtime.

Preview Your Will Free – No Payment Required

Legal Disclaimer: This article provides general information about UK wills and estate planning and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your individual situation, please consult a qualified solicitor. WUHLD's online will service is suitable for straightforward UK estates; complex situations may require professional legal advice.

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