Family members could face being caught up in a legal tangle after a loved one's death after it was revealed nearly half of all wills could be out-of-date.

According to research commissioned by Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), 48% of people living in the South who have a will, haven't updated it for more than five years - while, of those, a fifth haven't looked at it for more than a decade.

And, it warns, that could spell problems.

Gail Hall from Warners Solicitors, which as offices in Tonbridge and Sevenoaks, and is a local SFE solicitor, explains: “Many people assume that once you have drafted a will you don’t ever have to review it, and that your wishes will be carried out as you wish them to be posthumously – but unfortunately, that’s far from true.

“If you remarry, for example, your will gets revoked. Or if you marry into a family and have stepchildren that you’d like to inherit your assets – this won’t happen automatically unless you stipulate it in a new will.

"All these details are crucial to avoid family disputes – which we know can be very distressing for your loved ones.”

She recommends a will be reviewed and updated every five years - or when a major change in your life impacts on your loved ones.

This year, SFE, a membership body representing over 1,600 solicitors specialising in working with older and vulnerable people, has launched 'Update Your Will Week' - which starts today - in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of updating your will regularly.

The research also revealed that 53% in the South of England have no will at all.

The solicitor added: “It’s great to see that many people living in the South have a will in place – but we need to see a higher will uptake, and for those that have a will in place, it’s paramount that they review these frequently."