Published on: 23rd December 2019

Average Age Of Parents Increases For Tenth Consecutive Year

The average age for both mothers and fathers has increased for the past decade, with couples choosing to delay parenthood probably whilst crafting their careers.

The average age of a UK father in England and Wales is now 33.6 years, according to recent data from the Office for National Statistics. Mothers-to-be remain statistically younger but also continued the trend of delaying parenthood. The average age of a mother in England and Wales is now 30.6 years old. Since the record lows of 1975, the combined average mean age of parents has increased by 4.2 years. In total, there were 657,076 births in England and Wales last year. The statistics seem to suggest that many parents in England and Wales would benefit from making a Will to ensure their wishes are executed following their death. The 326,836 births recorded by parents outside of marriage represented 48.6% of all births, more than 1% above the five-year average of 47.62%.

Failing to make a Will, whilst unmarried, could present many issues for the family if a partner dies intestate (without a Will). This issue could also present inheritance tax headaches for loved ones, especially a partner, if they die without leaving such a crucial document such as a Will. Almost a third (32.5%) of men and women, who had children in 2018, made joint registrations and lived at the same address. This could indicate that they share access to a property, yet this might not be considered if the registered property owner dies intestate. Given the fact that 3.2% of all parents, who had a child in 2018, were aged over 45, more parents need to consider the importance of a Will. 478 fathers over the age of 60 had a child in 2018. This suggests that making a Will, or at least reviewing a current Will needs to be a greater priority since the most recent child may be unwittingly disinherited. Only 45% of adults in the UK have an up to date will, according to a 2018 survey by King's Court Trust. Worryingly, only a quarter (26%) of parents with children under the age of four have a valid Will. It is really important to have a Will specifying a guardian.

If you would like to meet one of our Consultants and discuss any of the issues raised in this article or any other Estate Planning topic, please telephone 01732 868190 or click here.

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