People most often make or update a will around a major life event, rather than at a fixed age. Marriage, having a child, buying a home, divorce and the death of someone close are the common prompts, and official statistics show how frequently each of these events happens across England and Wales every year.
This page pulls together verified figures from the Office for National Statistics and other official sources to show the scale of those life events, and explains where the law itself makes a life event a reason to revisit a will. It is general information about the data, not advice for any individual. Any legal thresholds mentioned are current as at July 2026 and are subject to change.
When do people make a will?
Most people make a will in response to a change in their circumstances rather than at a set milestone. The events that tend to prompt it are the ones that change who depends on a person or what they own: marriage or a civil partnership, the birth of a child, buying a home, a separation or divorce, or a bereavement. Some of these, such as marriage, also carry a direct legal effect on an existing will.
Key figures at a glance
Each row below is a single verified statistic from a named official source, with the reference period and a link. These are counts of life events in England and Wales, not survey estimates, so they show how often the common prompts for making a will actually occur.
| Statistic (England & Wales) | Figure | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| Marriages and civil partnerships formed | 231,949 | ONS, Marriages in E&W: 2023 (pub. Nov 2025) |
| Opposite-sex marriages (of the above) | 216,901 | ONS, Marriages in E&W: 2023 (pub. Nov 2025) |
| Divorces | 102,678 | ONS, Divorces in E&W: 2023 (pub. Jul 2025) |
| Live births | 585,396 | ONS, Births summary tables: 2025 (pub. May 2026) |
| Deaths registered | 568,613 | ONS, Death registrations: 2024 (pub. Oct 2025) |
| Households that are owner-occupiers (England) | 65% | English Housing Survey 2024-25 |
Figures are the latest available official statistics as at July 2026 and are subject to revision by the publishing body.
The life events that prompt a will
Five life events do most of the work in the data. Each is common enough, across hundreds of thousands of people a year, that estate planners tend to see the same prompts repeatedly. The figures below set out how often each event occurs, and why it can be a sensible point to review a will. Every number carries its own official source and reference period.
Marriage and civil partnership
Marriage and civil partnership are the clearest legal prompts. There were 231,949 marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales in 2023, of which 216,901 were opposite-sex marriages and 8,501 were same-sex marriages (ONS, Marriages in England and Wales: 2023, published November 2025). Marriage generally revokes an earlier will under the Wills Act 1837, section 18, subject to limited exceptions.
Having children
A new baby is one of the most common reasons people first make a will, because a will is where guardians for young children can be named. There were 585,396 live births in England and Wales in 2025, a 1.6% decrease from 594,677 in 2024 (ONS, Births summary tables, England and Wales: 2025, published May 2026). Many parents choose to review their arrangements as their family grows.
Buying a home
Property ownership tends to concentrate the mind, as a home is usually the largest single asset in an estate. In England, 65% of households were owner-occupiers in 2024-25, split between 36% who owned outright and 29% buying with a mortgage (English Housing Survey 2024-25). How a jointly owned home passes on death can depend on how ownership is held.
Divorce and separation
Relationship breakdown changes who a person may want to benefit. There were 102,678 divorces in England and Wales in 2023, described by the ONS as a return to pre-pandemic levels, including 1,891 same-sex divorces (ONS, Divorces in England and Wales: 2023, published July 2025). Divorce does not cancel a whole will, but it changes how gifts to a former spouse are treated.
Bereavement
The death of a partner, parent or friend often prompts people to put their own affairs in order, sometimes while acting as an executor for someone else. There were 568,613 deaths registered in England and Wales in 2024, a 2.2% decrease from 581,363 in 2023 (ONS, Death registrations summary, England and Wales: 2024, published October 2025). Administering an estate can highlight the value of a clear, up-to-date will.
Trends over time
Year-on-year, the headline life-event counts have moved only modestly. Both births and deaths registered a small fall in the most recent year for which figures are published, while marriage numbers dropped more sharply. The short comparison below uses only the exact figures each source states for two consecutive years.
| Life event (England & Wales) | Earlier year | Latest year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live births | 594,677 (2024) | 585,396 (2025) | ONS births, pub. May 2026 |
| Deaths registered | 581,363 (2023) | 568,613 (2024) | ONS deaths, pub. Oct 2025 |
| Marriages & civil partnerships | 2022 (higher) | 231,949 (2023) | ONS, 8.6% fall vs 2022, pub. Nov 2025 |
The ONS reports 2023 marriages and civil partnerships as an 8.6% decrease from 2022; figures are subject to revision.
What the numbers mean
Taken together, the figures suggest that the moments most likely to prompt a will are common rather than rare. In a single year, England and Wales sees hundreds of thousands of marriages, births and deaths, and roughly two in three households own their home. Each of those is a point at which who inherits, or who cares for children, may change.
By contrast, will-making itself lags behind these events. Consumer research from the group Which? has reported that over half of UK adults do not have a will, based on its survey work (Which?, secondary source). That is a survey estimate rather than an official count, so it should be read with more caution than the ONS figures, but the broad gap between how often life events happen and how many people hold a current will is a recurring theme. In our experience, plans written before a marriage, a child or a house purchase are often the ones most in need of review.
The data does not tell anyone when to act. It shows that the events which change an estate are frequent, and that many people reach them without a current will in place.
For most families, a short review after a major life event tends to be more useful than a single document written once and left untouched. Where an estate is larger, the same events can also change the inheritance tax position: the nil-rate band is £325,000 per person and has been frozen until the end of the 2030-31 tax year (5 April 2031), so more estates may be drawn into charge over time (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Our estate planning guide sets out how the wider plan fits together.
How marriage and divorce affect an existing will
Marriage and divorce are the two life events with a direct legal effect on a will in England and Wales. Marriage or a civil partnership generally revokes an earlier will, so a person can find themselves without a valid will unless a new one is made. Divorce does not revoke a will, but it changes how any gift to a former spouse is read. Both are common reasons the law itself makes a review sensible.
Under the Wills Act 1837, section 18, a will is revoked by the testator's marriage, subject to limited exceptions such as a will made in expectation of a particular marriage. A will can be made before marriage stating that it is intended to survive it. On divorce, the general position is that a former spouse is treated as having died on the date the marriage ended, for the purposes of the will, so gifts to them and any appointment of them as executor usually fail. Many people choose to make a fresh will at each of these points, and it can be worth discussing the detail with a qualified professional. Our guide on How to Write a Will covers what a valid will needs to contain.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
The statistics above cover England and Wales, and the legal effects described follow the law of England and Wales. Scotland has its own succession law, and the way marriage and divorce affect a will differs there, so the England and Wales position should not be assumed to apply. Northern Ireland operates a separate but broadly similar system to England and Wales. Where an estate or a family spans more than one UK nation, it can be worth taking advice in each relevant jurisdiction. For wider context, see our overview of estate planning awareness across the UK.
Sources and methodology
Every statistic on this page is a single figure taken directly from a named official source and verified against that source. No figures have been estimated, rounded beyond the source, or combined to create new numbers. Survey research is clearly flagged as a secondary source and kept separate from the official counts.
- Marriages: 231,949 marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales in 2023 (216,901 opposite-sex marriages; 8,501 same-sex marriages), an 8.6% fall from 2022, ONS, Marriages in England and Wales: 2023, published 18 November 2025.
- Divorces: 102,678 divorces in England and Wales in 2023, including 1,891 same-sex divorces, ONS, Divorces in England and Wales: 2023, published 2 July 2025.
- Live births: 585,396 live births in England and Wales in 2025 (down 1.6% from 594,677 in 2024), ONS, Births summary tables, England and Wales: 2025, published 27 May 2026.
- Deaths: 568,613 deaths registered in England and Wales in 2024 (down 2.2% from 581,363 in 2023), ONS, Death registrations summary tables, published 9 October 2025.
- Home ownership: 65% of households in England were owner-occupiers in 2024-25 (36% outright, 29% with a mortgage), English Housing Survey 2024-25 headline findings.
- Effect of marriage on a will: Wills Act 1837, section 18, legislation.gov.uk.
- Intestacy: rules on who inherits when there is no will, gov.uk.
- Secondary (survey): proportion of UK adults without a will, Which?, consumer survey research.
Frequently asked questions
When do most people make a will?
Most people make or update a will around a major life event rather than at a fixed age. Marriage, having a child, buying a home, divorce and bereavement are the common prompts. Official statistics show these events happen hundreds of thousands of times a year in England and Wales (ONS, 2023), so many people revisit a will more than once.
Does getting married cancel my existing will?
In England and Wales, marriage or a civil partnership generally revokes an earlier will, subject to limited exceptions, under the Wills Act 1837, section 18. A will can be made in expectation of a particular marriage so that it survives. Because the rules differ in Scotland, and outcomes depend on the wording, many people choose to take advice when marrying.
Does divorce cancel my will?
No, divorce does not revoke a whole will in England and Wales. Generally, a former spouse or civil partner is instead treated as having died on the date the marriage or partnership legally ended, so gifts to them and their appointment as executor usually fail (Wills Act 1837). The rest of the will can stand, though many people update it after a divorce.
Do unmarried partners inherit if there is no will?
Not automatically. Under the intestacy rules in England and Wales, an unmarried partner who was not married or in a civil partnership does not inherit as of right, however long the relationship (gov.uk, intestacy rules, as at July 2026). This is one reason cohabiting couples often make wills. The position can differ in other UK nations.
Should I update my will after having a baby?
Many parents choose to make or review a will after a child arrives, because a will is where guardians for young children can be named and where provision for them can be set out. With 585,396 live births recorded in England and Wales in 2025 (ONS, 2025), it is a common prompt, though what suits a family depends on its circumstances.
How many people die without a will each year?
There is no official count of how many estates are intestate, so a precise figure is not available. There were 568,613 deaths registered in England and Wales in 2024 (ONS, 2024), and survey research by Which? suggests over half of UK adults have no will (Which?, secondary source), which implies many die without one.