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Have you made a choice? Or are you leaving things to chance?

View profile for Laura Stuart
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The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has launched a public awareness campaign to encourage people to plan for their and their families' futures. With the strapline “Choice not Chance” and a suite of rather uninspiring black & white posters and leaflets it’s hardly surprising that nobody I’ve met has heard of the campaign.

People have hardly been flocking to our offices demanding a Will or a Lasting Power of Attorney because of the campaign.

The purpose of the campaign, according to the MOJ site,  is to encourage people to think about, and talk about, what might happen in the event of their death, or if they lose mental capacity and need somebody to make decisions for them. It targets the 25-50 age group, i.e. those who are less inclined to think about these things. They may think it irrelevant but they are often the very people often with young dependent families and other responsibilities such as mortgages, which would still need to be paid in the event of their death or if they became incapacitated.

The statistics (from Research by Foresters Friendly Society and ICM in 2011) suggest that such a campaign is indeed necessary:

•    61% of people responding to the survey did not have a Will
•    77% of parents with children aged under 5 years old have not made a Will
•    46% of those aged 55-64 have not made a Will
•    24% not thought about it
•    23% think they are too poor to have a Will

Of those who had made a Will:

•    1:10 have not told anyone where their Will is
•    46% have not reviewed their Wills in last five years

The MOJ site claims that, “the campaign will encourage people to make a Will, put in place a Lasting Power of Attorney and to sign up to the organ donation register.”

So, what would encourage you to make a Will or a Lasting Power of Attorney?

If you wish to speak to us about your Will or Lasting Power of Attorney, please get in touch

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