The COVID-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call for many Americans, especially regarding end-of-life planning.
According to the survey question “Did your loved one have a will before dying of COVID-19?” only 22.6% responded with Yes, 17.6% responded that their loved one had a living trust, and 15.8% had a different estate planning document in place.
Now, nearly half of those who had a serious case of COVID-19 are much more likely to have a will than those who have not experienced the virus. This includes an increase with 18-34 year-olds, who have been motivated by the pandemic to take further steps to obtain estate planning documents.
For more Information:
See Daniel Cobb, “1 in 5 People Who Died of COVID-19 Did Not Have an Estate Plan,” Caring.com, June 2022.