People should make sure they inform their family when they draw up a will, an expert has said.

Speaking to the Baltimore Sun, US probate lawyer Steve Spitzer explained that Michael Jackson’s death has revealed a number of advantages when it comes to making a will.

Firstly, the 50-year-old made a will, which is a vital step for anyone with young children, the legal expert said.

Secondly, by setting up a family trust, Jackson was able to divide up his estate as he chose, and ensure this process was kept out of the public eye.

However, the article also advised individuals to tell people about their wills. “For days after Jackson’s death, it wasn’t clear whether he had a will or, if he did, where it was,” the writer noted.

Other lessons to be learned from Jackson’s end-of-life planning included the benefits of informing the executor, or people named in your will, of where your will document is kept.

The advice comes after research by consumer body Which? found that more than a third (35 per cent) of Britons over the age of 65 thought they did not need to make a will.

Peter McCarthy, speaking on behalf of Which?, warned: “If you die without getting your affairs in order, your money, personal belongings and even your home could go to the person you least want to have them and your loved ones could lose out.”