How to Write a Will in England and Wales

What do you need before you start writing a will?

List what you own, decide who should inherit it, and choose your executors and any guardians before you begin writing anything. Having this ready makes the actual writing quick.

Make a rough list of your money, savings, property, and significant possessions, along with any debts. Decide who you want to benefit, whether that is a partner, children, other family, friends, or a charity, and in what shares. Choose your executors, the people who will carry out your wishes, and if you have children under 18, decide who should be their guardian if both parents die. Having these decisions made in advance, rather than working them out as you go, is what makes the writing itself straightforward.

What information do you need to include?

Name your beneficiaries and what they receive, appoint your executors, name guardians if relevant, and include a clause revoking any earlier wills. Vague wording is one of the most common sources of dispute.

Be specific about beneficiaries: full names, and how a share is calculated if it is not a simple even split. List any specific gifts separately from the residue, the remainder of your estate once specific gifts and debts are settled. State clearly that this will revokes all previous wills, so there is no ambiguity about which document governs your estate. If you want to leave a gift to charity, name it precisely, since a vague description can cause delay in identifying the right organisation.

How do you actually write the document?

Use a solicitor-checked online service, a solicitor, or write it yourself, then sign and witness the finished document correctly. The legal validity depends on execution, not who drafted it.

1. Choose your route. A solicitor-checked online will suits most straightforward estates for £19.99. A full solicitor, £200 to £650, suits complex estates, business assets, trusts, or blended families needing tailored advice.
2. Draft the content, working through beneficiaries, gifts, executors, and guardians in order.
3. Review the draft carefully, or have a solicitor review it, checking names, shares, and wording are exactly what you intend.
4. Print the final version. A will must exist as a physical, signed document, not just a digital file.
5. Sign in front of two witnesses, present together, who then sign in your presence too.

What are the signing rules you must get right?

You and two independent witnesses must all be present together when you sign, and neither witness can be a beneficiary of the will. This is where homemade wills most often fail.

The witnessing rules require two people, both over 18, watching you sign, who then sign themselves in your presence. A beneficiary who acts as a witness does not invalidate the whole will, but it does cancel their own gift, which is rarely what anyone intended. Get this wrong and the mistake is only discovered after death, when it is too late to fix.

What common mistakes should you avoid?

Using an invalid witness, vague wording about who gets what, and forgetting to name a backup executor are the most frequent problems. Each is avoidable with a small amount of care.

Beyond witnessing errors, people often list beneficiaries without saying what happens if one dies before them. They may also leave gifts that overlap or contradict each other, or name only one executor with no backup if that person cannot act. If you need help getting the details right, a solicitor check catches these before you sign. That is better than leaving your executors, or someone close to you, to work out what you meant after you have died.

What do you do after your will is signed?

Store the signed original somewhere secure, tell your executors where it is, and review it after marriage, divorce, or having children. Writing the will is only half the task.

Secure will storage removes the everyday risk of a signed original being lost or damaged at home, and it means your executors have a clear, single place to go when the time comes. Marriage or civil partnership automatically revokes an existing will, so if your circumstances change, revoke and replace it properly rather than assuming the old version still applies. A will you write once and never revisit can easily fall out of date with your actual wishes.

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to write your own will in the UK?

Yes. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor. Your will is valid as long as it is in writing, signed by you, and witnessed correctly by two independent people. A solicitor-checked online service reviews the wording without requiring a full solicitor appointment.

Can I make a will without seeing a solicitor?

Yes. Solicitor-checked online services let you complete guided questions remotely, with a qualified solicitor reviewing the finished document before you print and sign it. You only need to see other people in person for the actual signing and witnessing stage.

What is the golden rule when making a will?

If there is any doubt about your mental capacity or vulnerability to influence, get a contemporaneous professional assessment before signing anything. This “golden rule” protects a will from later challenge and is standard practice for older or vulnerable testators.

What is the biggest mistake people make writing a will?

Getting the witnessing wrong: too few witnesses, a witness who is also a beneficiary, or witnesses signing at different times rather than together. This is the single most common reason a homemade will fails or a gift is unexpectedly cancelled.