Survey Highlights Persistent Estate Planning Gap and Growing Openness to AI Solutions

According to a recent LinkedIn post from Trust & Will, the company is highlighting findings from a 2026 survey of 5,000 U.S. adults on estate planning behavior. The post notes that 56% of respondents still lack any estate planning documents, roughly unchanged from 2025, with will ownership declining while trust ownership has increased modestly.

The post further suggests that Gen X appears particularly underprepared, with 62% reportedly having no documents, and that 42% of Americans would not know what to do if a family member died today. It also flags a shift in consumer attitudes, with 30% of respondents now trusting AI more than a human attorney for estate planning, and many placing higher subjective value on memories and relationships than on financial assets.

For investors, the survey results imply a large, persistent addressable market for digital estate planning solutions and related advisory tools. The combination of low overall document penetration, generational gaps, and reported confusion over cost and how to begin may support continued demand for simplified, tech-enabled offerings that can lower friction and expand adoption.

The increased trust in AI for estate planning may also point to an emerging competitive advantage for platforms that successfully integrate AI in a compliant, user-friendly way. If Trust & Will can capture even a modest share of the sizable population without estate plans while leveraging AI to reduce customer acquisition and service costs, the trends outlined in the post could be supportive of long-term growth potential.

At the same time, the post’s reference to “AI skepticism” and relevance barriers indicates ongoing challenges for the industry. For Trust & Will and peers, this may require sustained investment in education, product design, and trust-building measures, which could weigh on near-term margins but help consolidate market position over time if executed effectively.