Speaking to the Surrey Herald, W Davies Solicitors said that a lasting power of attorney and an up-to-date will were the best ways of providing a family with emotional and financial protection.
The firm warned that those who die without a will risk having their estates passed on to people they may not want it to or even to the Crown.
It also suggested that a will was necessary for unmarried or cohabiting couples if they wanted to ensure that their other half inherited their property.
"This is extremely important in the event you are the sole owner of the property or if you and your partner own your property as tenants in common," the firm told the paper.
Almost one-third (31 per cent) of adults said they thought a will was unnecessary in a survey by Friends Provident earlier in the year.
