'Plan your exit like a celebrity' - why young people are being encouraged to write wills

"BBC At the start of Will Aid, an annual charity campaign where solicitors waive their fee to draft a basic will in return for a donation, young people are being encouraged to write down their final wishes - even if the prospect of death seems a long way off. Dinner parties, love letters and secret recipes - perhaps not the first things that come to mind when you think about writing a will. But for a growing number of young professionals, these personal touches are taking priority as they plan what will happen after they die."

""I've left little notes for my loved ones and I've gifted a great dress to my best friend," says Londoner Kate Davis, 31, who began writing her will after reading Atul Gawande's book, Being Mortal, about end of life care. However it wasn't until her father Mark died last year that Kate returned to the document to add more personal touches. "Sudden death was definitely the trigger to think about those extra things," she said. "I wanted a chance to tell people how much I love them, even from beyond the grave.""

Will Aid encourages people to write basic wills by arranging solicitors to waive fees in exchange for donations, prompting younger adults to record final wishes. Many young professionals now include personal touches such as dinner plans, love letters and recipes alongside traditional bequests. Personal experiences and sudden bereavements often trigger updates or the first drafts of wills. Digital assets like cryptocurrency, social media accounts and online businesses are increasingly being added to estate plans. Lack of knowledge and perceptions of simple estates lead one in four people to avoid making wills. Outdated wills have caused family friction in some cases.

Read at www.bbc.com