People who make a will "flexible" about primogeniture

People who decide to make a will are now more flexible when it comes to primogeniture and inheritance, a survey for Country Life has shown.

Those looking for free will writing advice will be interested to hear that almost 60 per cent of major landowners would make their daughters their will beneficiary and leave their estates to them.

According to the Country Life Saffery Champness Succession Survey, only 16 per cent of families that own land opt to use primogeniture as a deciding factor when it comes to inheritance.

This is because those who are making a will believe that it makes more sense to give a child who has the most experience their estate and do not consider their sex or age to determine who this is.

"Male primogeniture has ruled for more than a thousand years since the Normans conquered Britain. This survey shows a profound change in thinking in who should inherit the great estate," Mark Hedges, editor of Country Life, said.

However, those who have chosen a will beneficiary and decided to draw up this document have been advised to use a professional service to do so by Brian McMillan, director general of the Society of Will Writers.

Published by Hannah Carr