Beijing Shou Shan Weilao Service Center - Survey on Will-Making Among Elderly in Major Chinese Cities
Research background
Beijing Shou Shan Weilao Service Center is a professional public welfare organization registered and closely guided by the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, dedicated to providing comprehensive legal and lifestyle support services for the elderly. The center promotes the service philosophy of 'Rule of Law for the Elderly and Harmonious Families,' and has formed a legal service alliance comprising over a thousand professionals from leading domestic law firms such as Yingke, Dacheng, and Jingshī. This alliance primarily focuses on public welfare initiatives including legal education, will-making, inheritance planning, protection of elderly rights, and smart elderly care platform services, aiming to advance legal and familial harmony in the context of an aging society. With China's society entering a phase of deep demographic aging, the elderly population's interest in personal asset management, family arrangements, and legal rights protection has significantly increased, leading to growing societal attention toward legal services such as will-making. However, due to widespread cultural misconceptions and taboos surrounding 'wills' in traditional Chinese society, actual will-making rates remain low. The Beijing Shou Shan Weilao Service Center aims to conduct a professional survey to gain a deeper understanding of the elderly in major cities' awareness and receptiveness to will-making services, providing precise data to optimize its service product offerings.
Research scope
On October 17, 2017, CEIDEA Research was commissioned by the Beijing Shou Shan Weilao Service Center to investigate the demand for will-making services among elderly populations in four major Chinese cities—Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenzhen—through on-site, stratified sampling interviews. A total of 1,000 valid questionnaires were completed. The study focused on key dimensions including the elderly's understanding of the concept of a will, their willingness to create a will, anticipated timing of will creation, scope of assets involved, planning preferences, trust in legal consulting services, and preferred service formats. By incorporating cross-variable analysis of regional differences, age structure, and educational background, the research constructs a detailed user profile and demand map.
Expected outcomes
The final research report will provide actionable insights for the Beijing Shou Shan Weilao Service Center in areas such as public awareness campaigns, service process design, and channel expansion for will-making services. Through this study, the center will gain a more accurate understanding of the behavioral patterns and psychological needs of elderly individuals in major cities regarding will-making services, thereby enhancing service alignment and acceptance. This will contribute to the routine, professional, and convenient development of public legal services, and effectively strengthen legal safeguards for the elderly in later life and promote the stability of family relationships.
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