Writing a will online in the UK has never been simpler — but getting it right is crucial. A poorly executed will can be challenged, partially invalidated, or even rendered entirely void, leaving your family in exactly the situation you wanted to avoid. This comprehensive step-by-step guide walks you through the entire process, from gathering information to the final signing ceremony, and highlights the most common mistakes that catch UK residents out.
According to a 2024 survey by Canada Life, 56% of UK adults do not have a valid will. That means millions of families face the prospect of their estate being distributed under the intestacy rules — a one-size-fits-all legal formula that rarely matches people's actual wishes.
Good preparation makes the will-writing process much smoother. Before sitting down with an online service, gather the following:
LegalWills.co.uk guides you through every step. No legal knowledge required. Start free, pay only when you print.
Start Your Will Now →Select a platform compliant with the Wills Act 1837. LegalWills.co.uk is the most established. Ensure the service is updated for current UK law and provides clear guidance on signing and witnessing.
Register with your email address. Most services allow you to start for free and pay when you're ready to download or print the completed document.
Work through each section: personal details, executor appointment, beneficiaries, specific bequests, residuary estate, guardianship (if applicable), and funeral wishes. Take your time — there is no rush, and you can save and return at any point.
Read through the generated will carefully. Check all names are spelled correctly, addresses are accurate, and the distribution of your estate matches your intentions. Pay special attention to the residuary clause — this covers everything not specifically mentioned.
Print the document on white A4 paper. Do not staple the pages. Use a high-quality printer to ensure signatures will be clear. Some people print multiple copies — if you do, each copy must be signed and witnessed separately to be valid.
This is the most critical step. You (the testator) must sign in the presence of two independent adult witnesses who are both physically present at the same time. After you sign, each witness must sign in your presence and in the presence of the other witness.
Store the original in a secure location — a fireproof safe at home, a solicitor's strongroom, or register it with the National Will Register (Certainty). Tell your executor where it is. If using an online service with storage, ensure your login details are accessible to your executor.
More wills are invalidated by signing errors than any other cause. Under the Wills Act 1837, the requirements are precise:
The correct procedure is:
Note: COVID-19 temporarily allowed video-witnessed wills under the Wills Act 1837 (Electronic Communications) Order 2020, but this measure expired. All post-2021 wills should use in-person witnesses.
Your executor is responsible for administering your estate — collecting assets, paying debts, and distributing inheritances. Appoint one or two people you trust. You can also appoint a professional executor (such as a solicitor or trust company), but they charge fees typically between 1% and 4% of the estate value.
This is one of the most important reasons for parents to have a will. Without a guardian appointment, the courts decide who cares for your children if both parents die. Your appointed guardian should be someone who shares your values and has agreed to take on the responsibility.
You can leave specific items (jewellery, a car, a sum of money) to named individuals. However, be careful: if the item no longer exists at the time of your death, the bequest simply fails — the beneficiary receives nothing in its place (known as "ademption").
The residuary clause catches everything not specifically mentioned. This is typically the most important clause in a simple will — for example: "I give the remainder of my estate to my spouse, and if they predecease me, equally between my children." Always include a substitute beneficiary.
Your will can express burial or cremation preferences, though strictly speaking these are not legally binding. Your executor has legal authority over funeral arrangements, so they should know your wishes even before the will is read.
As noted above, this is the most costly mistake. The gift to the witnessing beneficiary is voided. Always use completely independent witnesses.
Marriage, divorce, having children, buying property, the death of a beneficiary — all of these should trigger a will review. Critically:
If you only leave specific bequests but forget to deal with the rest of your estate, the residuary estate passes under the intestacy rules. This is called a "partial intestacy" and can lead to messy outcomes.
If a beneficiary predeceases you and there is no substitute, the gift typically falls back into the residue (or causes a partial intestacy if it was the residue itself). Online services prompt you to name substitutes — always do so.
Online accounts, cryptocurrency, digital businesses, and subscription services have real value. Include instructions for your executor on how to locate and access these. Consider using a secure password manager accessible to your executor, or a service like Digital Death Register.
A valid will that nobody can find is as good as no will at all. Tell your executor where the original is stored. Consider registering with the National Will Register (Certainty.co.uk) for a one-time fee of around £25.
Compare all UK will writing services including LegalWills.co.uk, Farewill, and other trusted providers.
Compare UK Will Services →Online will services are excellent for most situations, but there are scenarios where a solicitor's expertise is genuinely necessary:
A will is not a one-time task. Think of it as a living document that should be reviewed:
Online services make this easy — LegalWills.co.uk allows unlimited updates. Creating a new will automatically revokes all previous wills, provided the new will includes a revocation clause (which most online-generated wills do automatically).
It takes less than 20 minutes. Your family deserves the protection a valid will provides. Start free with LegalWills.co.uk.
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