Creating a Will
TLDR (Too Long; Didn't Read): Dying without a valid will creates a potential mess for your relatives and possibly means you can't ensure that your assets go to those you want. I set out all the main options to getting a will created, and provide a download to a FREE Will that you can complete yourself, or you can use one of a number of recommended routes. Which you choose will depend on your circumstances and budget.
So, what can you do?
Great, you've made it this far so clearly you realise the need for a will.
You've got options here.
Firstly, you need to know that will-writing is NOT a regulated market. That means anyone can sell you a will, without any training or certification. It also means you can create your own will. However, it means the protections you get against it being improperly executed vary enormously from none (if you write it) up to it being written by a solicitor (where you get professional indemnity insurance and recourse to an ombudsman). In between are literally hundreds of firms and even charities who will offer you anything between free wills (but will likely want to benefit after your death from your estate) to relatively low cost versus a solicitor. It's a bit of a minefield.
Option One - my Will template: the simplest and FREE
Here's a link to download three different Will templates which are totally free and require no sign up, and zero sharing of your data or selling you services. However, each one is just a PDF which you can print and fill in by hand. It also lacks the ability to create special terms or manage complex requirements. But properly signed and witnessed, it's as legal as any other. Note that you're responsible for making sure it's legally valid! (You could of course pay a solicitor a relatively small amount to cast their eye over it.)
Option Two - free online Will templates from third parties
Unlike my own free version which is a static version and may not be suitable for your needs, these online firms use dynamic templates - this means that you fill them out online and they adjust depending on your answers. You then print off or download the final version. The catch is that these companies will almost all be trying to upsell you into paid versions and solicitor checks (for more complex wills), cross-sell other products (like funeral arrangements or financial advice), or offer to appoint themselves or a commercial partner as Executor in your will (click here for why this is often a very bad idea). But if you're ok with some or any of that, or are happy to decline those services, then these can be an excellent way to get a free will.
There's only one free one I choose recommend based on customer reviews and transparency, and that's https://www.freewills.co.uk/.
Option Three - Charity links to free Will templates
Larger charities sometimes offer a free will writing service, very often overseen by a Solicitor who will check over what has been written, which gives you SRA-protection. But bear in mind that the charities incur costs of offering this free service, so they ask for a donation to cover these costs, with a suggestion of £100/200 for single or joint wills. You can pay less or nothing if you can't afford it.
You can simple Google 'free charity wills' and it will bring up a long list, but here's some examples.
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-involved/make-donation/leave-gift-your-will
https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/donate/gift-in-will
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/donate/gifts-in-wills/free-will-service
Similarly, you may have heard of something called Free Wills Month (actually two months of the year!).
This is a bi-annual event (March and October) where solicitors offer free will writing or updating services to people aged 55 and over, with the understanding that a gift (of any size or percentage you choose) to a participating charity is included in the will.
How it works: You can find participating solicitors on the Free Wills Month website or by calling 0333 022 0396.
Participating Charities: Many charities participate, including Macmillan Cancer Support, British Red Cross, NSPCC, Oxfam, Mind, British Heart Foundation, and Shelter England.
Option Four - Paid static templates
Virtually identical to Option One (my free downloadable and printable template), but if you'd rather use an established company for an offline Will, you can buy these from around £20-25 plus postage.
Lawpack https://www.lawpack.co.uk/last-will-and-testament/p
Legal Path https://legalpath.co.uk/collections/will-kits/products/double-pack-last-will-and-testament
Option Five - Paid online templates
Virtually identical to Option Two but this time you're paying! However, paying isn't a bad thing - generally quality goes up. The old adage "You can have free or you can have good - pick one" isn't always true but at least with paid templates, time and professional oversight will have gone into making sure the user experience is good and choice of options is broad.
Good options are as follows:
Option Six - Paid Will-writing services
Similar to Option 2, but as you are being charged, they're likely offering a more professional service where a will-writer or solicitor will check your Will to make sure it is valid and contains no mistakes. Note that many of these companies are not regulated, and if no solicitor checks the document, you won't have cover from the SRA either.
The will-writing can either be online (you complete the template and submit for checking), over the 'phone and/or in person (usually at your home) - or a combination of the three.
WARNING: will-writing services where someone visits your home can often be hard-sell, whereby it will be a salesperson looking to upsell extra products to you on top of what can be attractive 'base price' cost for a basic Will. They'll often appoint themselves as the Executor, sometimes without you realising - see here my blog post for details on why this can be a very bad idea. I don't provide links to companies doing home visits.
Here are links to companies with a good reputation for fair pricing and ethical dealing, and which use a solicitor to check the documents - but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful about ending up paying more than you should for extra services.
Option Seven - Use a solicitor
An excellent choice where you have complex affairs and/or a large estate and wish to mitigate any risk of the will not reflecting your wishes. This will likely be the most expensive option, but is well worth it if you want to be sure that your will is a perfect reflection of how you want your estate distributed, and makes it far less likely that it could contain errors that might be challenged in the courts.
Typical costs for a solicitor to draw up a simple will are around £200 but the more complicated it gets (multiple beneficiaries, assets to be divided, mirror wills for a couple etc.), can lead to it being well over £1000 or even more. Many people prefer to use a local solicitor as ease of accessibility makes communication and scheduling meetings easier and some find the personal touch useful. However, in today's digital world, you can also use online signing software so it's not essential. But if you have a good local solicitor who charges a fair price, why not?
Yes, but do I really need one?
You might assume that you don't need a will if you are married, or have a civil partner. It's true that it's simpler in some respects. Your spouse or civil partner does get all your personal belongings. But if there are children involved, they get half of everything over £322,000. Did you know that? That might be fine with you. It also might not be.
And what if you are not married or in a civil partnership, but in a relationship of any length (like a long term boyfriend or girlfriend)? Well, if you have a child or children, they'll inherit everything - even if you've been with your partner for more than fifty years. You'll then be relying on your child/children to provide for your partner, if that's what you wanted. Would they know that? Are they the child of your partner or of a previous relationship? Would - if there is more than one child - agree together on the precise amounts to support your partner?
And if you have no children or spouse/civil partner? Then legal default continues with living parents, then your full-blood siblings, half-blood siblings, grandparents, aunts/uncles and half-blood aunts/uncles, in that order. At each point in that order, if the relative has passed way, then the descendant of that relative inherits. For example, if your estate would have passed to a brother but they died, then their daughter (your niece) would inherit. If no living relatives can be found, then the Crown (yes, really) gets your estate. While all the above might suit you fine, it probably doesn't.
Think of it this way: a will isn’t about dwelling on death—it’s about easing the burden on your loved ones and ensuring that your final wishes are clear and respected. So, while it might not be the most uplifting topic, sorting your will is one of the most considerate things you can do.
Your number one priority
You probably know this already, but the single most important thing you can do right now that will support your loved ones after you die is to prepare a will (sometimes capitalised as 'Will' but it makes no difference).
A valid will ensures that your wishes are respected regarding inheritance of your assets - who gets what, basically. Not having a will (dying 'intestate') leads to your assets being distributed according to legal default (more on this later). In a worst case scenario, failing to prepare a will could lead to the Crown 'inheriting' all of your assets; your relatives get nothing.
More than that, a valid will allows for the faster distribution of your assets. Properly executed, there's also less room for there to be disagreement between your beneficiaries.
And yet, while most people know why they should have a will, a staggering 60% of adults in the UK don't have a will. That's bad enough when you are single. But only 50% of parents of any age have a will, and - worse - this drops to 45% for those with children under the age of eighteen - exactly when having a will matters most.
