Businesswoman helping young people write wills says Liam Payne dying without one has brought issue to ‘front of minds’

A 31-year-old who has launched a company helping young people detail their final wishes feels Liam Payne dying without a will has brought the issue to “the front of people’s minds”.

Sophia Maslin, from London, was planning to continue her career as a barrister but in 2022, she turned her attention to will writing for the younger demographic after her cousin died aged 32 without a will after having an unexpected heart attack.

Putting her law career to one side, Sophia focused full-time on her business which she has named Morby, a play on the word “morbid”, which is targeted at people aged 25 to 45 who want to draw up their last wishes in the event of their untimely death.

Understanding many young people do not like to address the topic of death, Sophia has branded her business with “tongue-in-cheek” catchphrases and slogans to boost engagement and take the edge off, such as “Your ticket to the after party”, “Plan your exit like a celebrity” and “Because your ex doesn’t deserve a surprise payday”.

Morby officially launched to the public on June 3, and Sophia said she and her team have since helped more than 100 young people create their final testaments through their website.

Sophia also feels the death of former One Direction star Liam Payne, who was revealed in May to have left behind a £24.3 million fortune after dying aged 31 in October 2024 without a will, has highlighted the issue further for young people.

“The Liam Payne story has definitely brought this to the front of people’s minds,” Sophia, the chief executive and founder of Morby, told PA Real Life.

“It’s highlighted that even if you’ve got a long-term partner or parents, if you don’t have a will, you don’t decide how your estate is distributed, which might not align with your wishes.

“People are starting to realise it’s something you need to do.

“It’s not always about having a big, complex estate – it’s about having everyone and everything in your life protected for that peace of mind.”

Sophia was prompted to help young people document their wills after her cousin, who she was close with but did not wish to name, died unexpectedly at the age of 32.

Without a will to guide the family, Sophia said the process of planning his funeral and organising his personal effects was “really stressful”.

Motivated by her own situation, she started looking into will writing in the UK and in particular, online wills which were appealing for young people – but she spotted a gap in the market.

Sophia, who was planning to continue her career as a barrister at the time, put her legal aspirations to one side in the winter of 2022 and set about designing her business with a small team.

The group, which has since grown from three to six, built Morby from scratch while juggling their day jobs.

Sophia said she has always wanted to steer clear of the heaviness around will writing, and has therefore branded her business with witty and “tongue-in-cheek” slogans to appeal to her target audience of those aged between 25 and 45.

Some of her catchphrases include: “Secure the bag then secure who gets it” and “Don’t let your stuff be as confusing as your dating history”.

Sophia said Morby’s official launch to the public on June 3 left her with a “huge sense of relief”.

“I’ve worked on this for nearly two years, I’ve seen so many different versions and worked on so many different iterations,” she said.

“For it to be live and to have people using it to protect themselves and their families, it feels really reassuring.

“We’ve seen a really positive response, a lot of people that were pre-registered with us have completed their wills now.”

To write a will with Morby, Sophia said people must answer a series of “simple” questions about their estate and how they want to divide it, as well as funeral plans and any additional items they may want to leave behind.

Creating a simple will with Morby costs £80, along with an optional £10 annual fee to update the information at any time.

Those wanting to further detail their final wishes can also document this in a letter for £20.

“While it’s not a testamentary document, it can be used to prevent any future conflict if you’ve left someone out of your will for any particular reason,” Sophia said.

“It can also be used to provide something a bit more emotional and personable to leave your loved ones in a letter.

“We’ve also had a few people reach out directly asking whether we can offer more bespoke wills for more complex estates – which we can.”

In just over a week, Sophia said 136 people have used Morby to detail their final wishes since the site went live.

“The demand is there,” Sophia said.

“A lot of the wills I have seen so far, people haven’t necessarily had children or properties – some have just had pets or siblings they want stuff to go to for the time being.”

To boost awareness with the general public, Sophia has also been standing in central London holding cardboard signs with some of her catchphrases, which she said earned “a lot of engagement”.

Looking ahead, Sophia is planning to introduce a “digital vault” feature to her company alongside someone’s online will which would hold an individual’s passwords and personal documents.

“It would alleviate that difficult transition period so that’s something I’m hoping to add further down the line,” she said.

To find out more, visit the website for Morby here: morby.xyz