Make writing a will your new year’s resolution

The new year is a brilliant time to get affairs in order and make a new start.

One of the most important tasks that can be done in 2012 is to make a will to ensure that loved ones are properly provided for in the event of death.

The task is even more pressing for those who are unmarried but are cohabiting with another, as they are yet to enjoy the same rights as married couples under British law.

According to research by Confused.com, sixty six per cent of people living together as a couple do not have a will.

Moreover, 65 per cent of couples do have mortgages – less than half of which are in joint names – and 28 per cent of people admit that they could not afford the funeral if their partner or spouse died.

Matthew Lloyd, head of life insurance at Confused.com, warns: "There seems to be a myth that unmarried partners are automatically protected but this is not the case.

“If one partner in a couple dies but you were not married or registered civil partners then you won't automatically get a share of your partner's estate if they don't have a will."

Published by Kevin Round