Almost 40 million people (around 70 per cent of UK adults) have not written a will, according to a recent survey.

The research, commissioned by Co-Op Legal Services, found that more than half of those without a will (51 per cent) said they had not yet got round to making one, while one fifth (19 per cent) felt it was simply not something they needed.

The survey also found the average age of those drawing up a will was 58, significantly older than the average age of buying a first home (36) and potentially making families highly vulnerable to unexpected events – especially when only around 20 per cent of adults have a life insurance policy in place.

Discussing the results, James Antoniou, head of estate planning at Co-op Legal Services, said: “Of course, when it comes to estate planning, the impact that our death would have on our loved ones can be a difficult subject to broach.

“Our research suggests that a large proportion of the population has not put a legally valid will in place. However, this is an essential part of planning for the inevitable and is something that we should all take the time to do.”

Respondents who had made a will meanwhile cited providing for their family as their key motivation, with 71 per cent saying they wanted to make things easier for their next of kin after their death.

The research saw a substantial year-on-year rise in the number of individuals who had included charitable gifts in their wills. In addition, one in eight (12 per cent) said they had included provision for their pets as part of their final wishes.

Co-op Legal Services surveyed 16,000 UK adults to compile its data. The firm states that the average value of estates it administers is more than £300,000.