Lack of up-to-date wills is root of rows over family fortunes

LAWYERS report a surge in family disputes over inheritances, and too many people are making them more likely by failing to write or update their will.

- 

Nearly three in five adults have no will, leaving families at risk of costly disputes and legal wrangling at the very stage of life when protection matters most.

With dependent children, mortgaged homes, blended families and complex finances, assumptions about who inherits what can quickly turn into arguments and court battles.

The Association of Lifetime Lawyers (ALL) research reveals 60% of 45-54-year-olds have no will, compared with 48% of UK adults aged 30 and over.