Mixed Result on Client Wills – Poll

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Of your clients who need a Will, what proportion have them in place?
  • Less than 50% (29%)
  • 50% - 65% (23%)
  • 65% - 80% (20%)
  • 80% - 95% (13%)
  • 95%+ (9%)
  • Don't know (7%)

There has been a very mixed result among advisers when addressing the question of what proportion of their clients who need a will actually have one.

As we go to press, while one in three advisers (33%) said less than 50% of clients had a will, another quarter (25%) believed that 65-80% of clients did have a will.

At the higher end of the scale, 13% believed more than 95% of clients were prepared for the future and 8% indicated 80-95% of their client base did have a will.

Another 13% said just 50-65% of clients fitted the bill, and 8% weren’t sure.

Our poll question stems from a report highlighting a presentation given at the 2025 MDRT Annual Meeting by Welsh adviser Craig Palfrey outlining the seven reasons he uses to convince his clients that they do indeed need a will.

Interestingly he notes that half of clients are unlikely to have one (see: Seven Reasons Clients Need a Will).

The comments were part of a wider presentation which encouraged advisers to be involved in their clients’ estate planning journey, partly as a way to engage with their clients’ children. (see: Strategies to Maximise Client Engagement).

Our poll remains open for another week and we’re interested to learn your thoughts…

Craig Palfrey speaking at MDRT 2025 Annual Meeting
Craig Palfrey speaking at MDRT 2025 Annual Meeting in Miami in June.


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2 COMMENTS

  1. Good to see Riskinfo sharing ideas and concepts from the best of the best advisers from the MDRT Annual Meeting in Miami a few weeks ago. The MDRT Ethos of sharing and caring is alive and well. I would encourage younger financial advisers to have good look at the benefits of the MDRT if they want to take their knowledge and business practices to the next level. Find a MDRT member near you and have a chat and you will find they will gladly assist you and share how the MDRT have helped them grow in ALL areas of their lives. WE call it the Whole Person Concept.
    Godfrey Phillips OAM
    41 year MDRT member

  2. Great topic! I co-founded willed.com.au because time and time again, my clients happily purchased life insurance but struggled to take the steps required to get their wills done. Sound familiar?

    The costs and time involved with the traditional approach to will writing was a major obstacle.

    I’m not saying an online will is suitable for all clients. Nor is it without it’s limitations. But a service such (as Willed) can make all the difference and bring a lot of peace of mind to clients who have been meaning to write a will (or update one) for years but have remained at a stand-still.

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