It's about time: Bringing Wills into the 21st Century

So much has changed since the society that our grandparents (and some of our parents) grew up in and the one we live in today. Technology and social media are obvious contenders; but broadly speaking, social and cultural attitudes have shifted in more progressive and inclusive directions. 

What life looks like for a Boomer and a Gen Y’er (i.e. millennial) across their teenage years and adulthood is like comparing apples with oranges; neither is objectively better or worse than the other, they are just different.

But if the landscape has changed so drastically since the Boomer and Gen X generations, why is it that when it comes to Wills: we’re still very much in the 1950s?

In those rare times when Wills are actually discussed, there are some main themes that underscore our conversations. The most common one being (unsurprisingly) :

“I don’t have a Will.”

And if you’re really lucky, you may have encountered the old-faithful ‘Will goals’ for yourself: namely, that a person ought to do their Will if and/or when:

They have a child…

They buy their first home…

They have a lot of money…

They get married…

They get ‘old’…

Spot a theme emerging? 

For our younger generations (Millennials/Gen Y & Gen Z), they can barely relate to any of the above, and if they do: can only relate to about two statements out of the total five on average (hi-fives all round). If you scored five out of five in compatibility with these ‘Will goals’, then that’s great for you; but even then, it is no guarantee you’ve got your Will done either.

These long-held notions about when to do your Will are not benchmarks which we should try and achieve in life (at any cost). They are merely opinions - albeit somewhat outdated opinions - and are about as helpful as those ‘one-size-fits-all’ pants you bought on a whim (spoiler alert: it does not).

We need to do away with the idea of acquiring certain things in order to ‘qualify’ for a Will, and instead focus on our Wills being for us & our loved ones, no matter what stage of life we’re in.

Thank you for coming to our Ted talk.