Up to 50% of Australians don't have a legal Will

May 2020: Up to 50% of Australians do not have a Will. This means that they aren't prepared to take care of their families and legacies after they're gone. It's in the "too hard" basket. Working with a lawyer to prepare a Will can cost up to $3,000 - and not having one in place could cost their loved ones thousands more in fees and administration. 

Without a Will, your assets are divided by the state according to the closeness of your relations, or where none may be found, the estate can be taken by the government. 

Having a will in place is the only way of ensuring that your assets are taken care of in accordance with your plans and wishes, and provides a legal option for securing your beneficiaries and managing distribution. 

Willed is a platform that empowers every Australian to create a Will in under 20 minutes, building and managing it through an online portal designed to streamline and simplify the experience. Users can nominate their executor and their beneficiaries and divide their assets without any friction or complications.

For Mum Nastassja Kuran, making a Will has been on her mind for years, knowing it would make a difference to her family’s future. 

“I've wanted to complete my Will for about three years - after my daughter was born I thought it was really important to have a Will in place, but I just kept putting it at the bottom of my list and the back of my mind because I just thought it was all too hard and expensive and it's just not something that I was prioritising.”

“When I heard about Willed, I knew that I wanted to look into it because it seemed so simple. After I actually went and started diving into the process, it was super clear super and it just talked me through the steps, and it was literally done in 20 minutes.”

“Now that my will is complete, I feel a sense of relief, I feel like this thing that I have to do isn't hanging over my head anymore. I feel like future and the future of my family and my children is secure and I really feel good about having done this.“

Aaron Zelman, CEO of Willed, said that the mission and technology of the platform was focused on helping Australians think about what comes next and become more organised. 

“Our goal is to help every Australian to prepare a Will, and look after what matters the most to them, whether it’s causes and charities they want to continue to support, whether it’s their kids and loved ones, or whether it’s their family pet,” he said. 

“When you pass away without a Will in this country, it can be a hugely complicated matter, leaving the people closest to you scrambling to deal with legal fallout and coordinate with the state to distribute your assets, at a time when they’re already dealing with so much stress; we want to solve that problem, and to do it with sensitivity and care.”

Willed is serviced and supported by Vault Legal, ensuring that the platform and the documentation produced through it are legally vetted and verified. 

About Willed

Willed is a platform that empowers every Australian to create a Will in under 20 minutes, building and managing it through an online portal designed to streamline and simplify the experience. Users can nominate their executor and their beneficiaries and divide their assets without any friction or complications.

About Aaron Zelman

Aaron Zelman is the founder of Willed, a platform for building better Wills that allows every Australian to look after their legacy.

As a life insurance advisor, Aaron has worked diligently to improve professionalism in his industry, and has made educating clients and providing them with a streamlined, friendly and authentic experience a high priority over anything resembling sales tactics.

Aaron’s unique approach has won him profiles and references in Money Management, Sydney Morning Herald, Risk Info and IFA Magazine, and has seen him win Risk Adviser of the Year awards multiple times and host industry forums with representatives from ASIC and Life Insurance company CEOs alike, among other distinctions in the field.