Thousands of Scots have no will, including a majority of parents

FEWER than half of Scots have a will in place, including thousands of over-65s, according to research by Standard Life.

Just 45 per cent of Scottish adults have drawn up a will, with 27 per cent of those without one saying they “haven’t got around to it yet”.

Rows over estates are not unknown and can be high-profile. Stieg Larsson, the Swedish author of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, died aged 50 in 2004. He left no will and the row over his estate raged for years.

The Edinburgh-based insurer also found that just a quarter of parents have an up-to-date will.

Julie Hutchison, head of technical insight at Standard Life, said: “If you were to die without a will, the emotional strain on your family, friends and loved ones could far outweigh the time and money spent in sorting your will out in advance.”