Majority of child-free individuals lack inheritance plans

December 23, 2025

Child-free families are a growing segment of UK society, and this is due to accelerate as the size of the UK family continues to fall each generation. As historic norms around family and inheritance planning change, Killik & Co has investigated how this increasingly prevalent type of family is planning for the future.

Most notably, Killik & Co found a stark lack of preparation verses traditional family units, meaning child-free individuals are less likely to benefit from the tax advantages of having formal inheritance plans in place.

Some of the headline data from the Killik & Co research is shown below:

Most child-free individuals have no formal inheritance plan

Nearly two thirds (61%) do not have a Will
An overwhelming majority (86%) have no Lasting Power of Attorney
18% do not see the point if they don’t have children
The vast majority (84%) of child-free individuals have never received any wealth planning support

UK adults without children plan to leave their wealth to:

Their partners (32%)
Nieces and nephews (23%)
Siblings (21%)
Charitable causes (18%)
Friends (11%)

A number don’t plan on leaving any inheritance

One in six (16%) don’t plan on leaving any inheritance at all
- A third (33%) plan to focus their retirement on travelling
- Just under a third (30%) will improve their quality of life

What does leaving a legacy mean?

Over a quarter (26%) believe they don’t need children of their own to leave a legacy
- 21% said it will be through their remaining family
- 19% saying it will be through their positive influence on others
- 8% said it would be the impact they leave in their professional lives

Will Stevens, Head of Wealth Planning at Killik & Co, said: “Having children is no longer the assumed norm, with many opting, either by choice or circumstance, to be child-free. This leads to an atypical situation, one in which inheritance planning cannot follow the most common route of going to their children, and leaving many people potentially holding more wealth without clear plans for others to inherit.

“It’s important that people have a clear plan in place about what will happen to their assets and how they will be used, and it’s important that people seek professional financial advice. Advisers can help you work on your remaining assets to ensure you have peace of mind, however that will be achieved.”