{"id":47583,"date":"2025-09-06T16:24:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-06T16:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/47583\/"},"modified":"2025-09-06T16:24:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T16:24:16","slug":"half-of-americans-dont-have-a-will-heres-how-legalzoom-can-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/47583\/","title":{"rendered":"Half of Americans don\u2019t have a will \u2014 here’s how LegalZoom can help"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\tNew York Post may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and\/or when you make a purchase.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t like talking about money, and we really don\u2019t like talking about death. Combine the two, and you get the conversation nearly every family avoids until it\u2019s too late<\/a>: inheritance. Well, we\u2019re starting the conversation along with the professionals at LegalZoom<\/a> \u2014 who, by the way, are offering 20% off estate plans through September 10, 2025.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no \u2018right age\u2019 or \u2018right dollar amount\u2019 to start<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Most of us keep the idea of estate planning<\/a> tucked away in our \u201clater problem\u201d drawer. Later, when I own more. Later, when the kids are older. Later, when I feel like I have something worth writing down. But later has a way of sneaking up on us, and according to a new LegalZoom survey,<\/a> the gap between what people think they\u2019ll inherit and what families are actually leaving behind is bigger than most realize.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not just talking about individual families, either. Economists estimate we\u2019re at the start of the largest wealth transfer in history<\/a> \u2014 as much as $84 trillion is expected to pass from Baby Boomers<\/a> and the Silent Generation to their heirs by 2045<\/strong>. But here\u2019s the catch: much of that money, property, and legacy is at risk of being tied up or mismanaged because estate plans aren\u2019t in place<\/a>. Every generation loses wealth this way, and unless families get proactive, the same will happen again.<\/p>\n

The \u201cinheritance expectation gap\u201d and the wealth transfer aren\u2019t just about dollars; they\u2019re about missed conversations, mismatched expectations, and the silent stress we don\u2019t realize we\u2019re carrying until it\u2019s too late to fix it. And the data is both fascinating and sobering. Put another way: we\u2019re in the middle of the biggest intergenerational money handoff ever, and yet half the country doesn\u2019t have even the simplest document to guide it. Without a will or trust, it\u2019s not your intentions that decide what happens \u2014 it\u2019s your state\u2019s laws. That\u2019s how legacies get eaten up by delays, disputes, and expenses.<\/p>\n

The inheritance expectation gap<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"LegalZoom LegalZoom<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the headline: According to the survey<\/a>, 60% of younger adults (18\u201344) think it\u2019s at least somewhat likely they\u2019ll receive an inheritance. Their parents and grandparents? 77% of older Americans say they\u2019re planning to leave something behind \u2014 and more than half of them (53%) say they\u2019re very likely to do so.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not in itself bad news. If anything, it shows good intentions on both sides. But good intentions don\u2019t always translate to reality. <\/strong>Many younger Americans assume their \u201csomeday\u201d inheritance will be modest: 24% expect less than $10,000 and another 13% think they\u2019ll get between $10K and $25K. Very few are banking on anything substantial.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, older adults are far more optimistic: about 60% expect to leave more than $50,000. That\u2019s a striking mismatch. Families are walking into this exchange of wealth with completely different ideas about what\u2019s coming \u2014 and whether or not it will be enough.<\/p>\n

This is where planning comes in. And not the \u201csomeday\u201d kind of planning, but the actual kind that gets written down, signed, and stored. That\u2019s the gap LegalZoom is trying to close: not just between expectations and reality, but between good intentions and real documents.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s really being passed down<\/strong><\/p>\n

Younger people imagine an inheritance as simple, liquid assets such as cash, a car, maybe a few investments. In the survey, 56% said money was their primary expectation. Older Americans, though, are picturing something more complex and tangible: real estate (62%), personal items (62%), money (59%), and vehicles (55%). A house isn\u2019t a check. A car isn\u2019t a bond. These are assets that come with upkeep, taxes, and sometimes emotional baggage.<\/p>\n

\"LegalZoom LegalZoom<\/p>\n

This is why having the right type of estate planning documents matters. A will can spell out who gets what, while a trust can help manage property and assets in a way that avoids some of the delays and expenses of probate court. Tools like healthcare directives or powers of attorney give families clarity in moments when clarity is in short supply.<\/p>\n

LegalZoom<\/a> doesn\u2019t just hand you a generic form and wish you luck; their step-by-step process walks you through which documents fit your situation, with the option of attorney review if you want added assurance. It\u2019s a service that acknowledges real families and the real assets they\u2019re dealing with, not just numbers in a bank account.<\/p>\n

Why this isn\u2019t just about money<\/strong><\/p>\n

This study makes it clear: inheritance isn\u2019t only about numbers. For 60% of younger Americans, receiving an inheritance would mean financial security. Not luxury, not yachts, not early retirement \u2014 just the ability to breathe a little easier. Another 46% say it would help in an emergency, 27% would use it to support their family, and 24% would finally chase a personal goal.<\/p>\n

Older adults are just as emotionally invested. More than half believe their inheritance will significantly improve their heirs\u2019 futures, and one in five are confident it will make a major difference. That belief \u2014 that what you leave behind will matter \u2014 is powerful. It\u2019s also a lot of pressure, especially when the economy can feel like it is shifting under our feet.<\/p>\n

Having real help when it comes to discerning your own situation and all its nuances seems imperative when you consider all this power and pressure. LegalZoom<\/a> exists for the families who want to do right by each other but don\u2019t know where to start. Their online tools were designed to help people turn \u201cI\u2019ll get around to it\u201d into \u201cI\u2019ve got this covered\u201d \u2014 and that one shift can change entire life stories.<\/p>\n

The role of economic uncertainty<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the other shadow hanging over this conversation: the economy. One in four younger people already assumes that shaky markets and inflation will eat into any inheritance they might receive. Older Americans feel it too, with over 60% saying inflation or housing costs could affect what they\u2019re able to leave, and 20% worry it could wipe out their intentions \u201ca great deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pair that with the uncertainty of the economy and you\u2019ve got a recipe for lost potential. Families who should be beneficiaries of the wealth transfer risk seeing it chipped away not just by inflation, but by the lack of proactive planning. Estate documents don\u2019t guarantee fortunes, but they do guarantee clarity \u2014 which is often the difference between a legacy preserved and a legacy squandered.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not paranoia; it\u2019s reality. Retirements get stretched thin, property values rise and fall, and healthcare bills balloon. It\u2019s one thing to want to leave something behind; it\u2019s another to actually be able to. And without a clear plan, even well-meant legacies can get tangled in delays, expenses, or disputes.<\/p>\n

Clear documentation<\/a> matters. You can\u2019t control inflation, but you can control how your assets are distributed. You can make sure your wishes aren\u2019t left up to chance.<\/p>\n

\"LegalZoom LegalZoom<\/p>\n

Where planning falls apart<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most sobering data point might be this: only 13% of younger people have a will. The reasons are familiar: 34% think they don\u2019t own enough to bother, 31% say they don\u2019t need one yet, and 17% admit they have no idea where to start.<\/p>\n

Older adults are doing better, but not by much. Only 48% currently have a will or trust. Among the rest, nearly half say they simply \u201chaven\u2019t gotten around to it.\u201d Another 12% are in the process, and 12% don\u2019t know where to begin.<\/p>\n

That means almost half of older Americans are hoping their intentions will somehow carry through without the paperwork. In reality, that\u2019s a gamble families are left to sort out. It\u2019s not that people don\u2019t care. It\u2019s that the process feels intimidating, expensive, or like something you can put off until tomorrow.\u00a0<\/p>\n

LegalZoom\u2019s entire model exists to lower that barrier, making estate planning affordable, approachable, and possible even if you think you \u201cdon\u2019t have enough\u201d to bother.<\/p>\n

The conversation no one wants to have<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even when people have plans, they\u2019re not talking about them. 39% of younger Americans have never discussed inheritance with their families, and 12% don\u2019t plan to, ever. Older adults aren\u2019t much better: only 49% have had \u201cthe talk.\u201d Nearly as many \u2014 43% \u2014 say they\u2019re open to it but haven\u2019t gotten around to it. And 8% flat-out refuse to ever bring it up.<\/p>\n

\"A Adobe Stock<\/p>\n

That silence is where the real damage happens. Without transparency, loved ones are left making assumptions \u2014 and, as many of us already know, grief is the worst time to be surprised.<\/p>\n

So, what now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the takeaway: planning isn\u2019t just about protecting assets, it\u2019s about protecting people<\/strong>. It\u2019s about sparing your kids from frantic guesswork or preventing your siblings from fighting over your mom\u2019s house.<\/p>\n