Is it legal to write your own will?
No law in England and Wales requires a will to be drafted — or even checked — by a solicitor. Validity comes entirely from section 9 of the Wills Act 1837: the will must be in writing, you must sign it (or direct someone to sign for you in your presence), your signature must be made or acknowledged in front of two witnesses present at the same time, and each witness must then sign in your presence. Wet ink only — electronic signatures are not valid.
Get those formalities right and your homemade will is every bit as binding as one written in a high-street office. Get them wrong and the document can fail completely, however carefully it was worded. Our guide to how to sign a will walks through the ceremony step by step.
Where do homemade wills actually go wrong?
The failure points are remarkably consistent:
- Execution errors — witnesses not in the room together, signing on different days, or a beneficiary witnessing (their gift becomes void, even though the will itself survives).
- Ambiguous wording — "my house" when you own two, "my children" in a blended family, percentages that do not add up to 100.
- No residuary clause — anything not specifically gifted falls into intestacy and is distributed by law, not by you.
- No substitutes — if your only executor or beneficiary dies before you and there is no backup, the gap is filled by court appointment or the intestacy rules.
- Forgetting life events — marriage revokes a will, and divorce changes who benefits. A stale will can be worse than none.
Which route fits your situation?
Pure DIY (pen and paper or a blank form) suits almost nobody beyond the very simplest estates, because everything — wording, structure, formalities — rests on you.
A template gives you the structure but not the judgement: our free will template page explains what templates do and do not cover.
An online will service like SwiftWill guides you through the decisions interview-style and produces a properly structured document. If you are wondering whether that counts, yes, online wills are legal when signed and witnessed correctly.
A solicitor is the right call when things get complicated: inheritance tax planning, trusts, business assets, property abroad, a likely family dispute, or leaving out someone who depends on you. Our honest guide to whether you need a solicitor maps the boundary.
What does writing a will in the UK involve?
Writing a will in the UK, for England and Wales, means naming executors, saying who inherits, dealing with the residue, and then signing with two witnesses. You can write it yourself, use a template, use an online will writing service, or instruct a solicitor. Validity is the signing ceremony, not the letterhead. The full walkthrough is how to make a will in the UK.
Should you write your own will or use a guided service?
For a straightforward estate — home, savings, clear wishes, no brewing disputes — writing your own will is absolutely legal and entirely achievable, provided the signing ceremony is done properly. If that is you, you can make your will in about 15 minutes with SwiftWill for a one-time £35, with free updates for life and no upsells. If your situation has sharp edges — tax, trusts, business or overseas assets, or someone likely to contest — spend the money on a solicitor instead.