Every year Caring.com conducts a study to determine where people’s minds are at with regard to estate planning. There are many different questions asked inside this survey that it typically involves more than 2,400 people.

Writing note showing My Last Will And Testament. Business concept for List of things to be made after his orher death

But one of the most important is to determine who already has an estate plan in place. For middle-aged Americans with a will, the study found that there has been a near 25% decrease for people who have this most important and vital estate planning documents.

In 2017, older and middle-aged Americans who participated in the survey reported that over 40% of middle-aged and older Americans reported that they had a will. But only 32% had that same document as shared in the 2020 survey. This is a significant decrease in the number of people who have critical estate planning documents, like a health directive, a living trust, or a will.

The lack of these important documents can be alarming for any family, since estate planning helps to establish multiple goals. A will is also your opportunity to name a person who will be responsible for caring for your minor children or making decisions about your health if you become incapacitated or are unable to do so. The study also found that for Americans earning more than $75,000, only 45% of them in that category had a will in place.

This is also problematic news given that a sudden incapacitation or death could have big consequences for your family and loved ones.