Which guide should you read first?
If you have not made a will yet, start with how to make a will in the UK. If you are about to sign, open how to sign a will and who can witness. If you have no will, open intestacy rules. If you are choosing a provider, open will cost and do I need a solicitor. Skip the rest until those are settled.
Every guide reaches a verdict and names who should skip it. Figures are sourced and dated. The method is at how we write will guides.
Making and signing a will
- How to make a will UK — How to make a will in the UK: online in 15 minutes for £35, or a free template. Signing, cost, and when a solicitor is required.
- How to sign a will — Sign in wet ink with two independent witnesses present together. Section 9 Wills Act 1837, step by step, plus who must not witness.
- Will signing checklist — Printable Wills Act 1837 signing checklist: two witnesses, wet ink, one room. Who must not witness, and the mistakes that void a will.
- Who can witness a will? — Independent adults aged 18+. Beneficiaries and their spouses must not witness — the gift fails under Wills Act s.15.
- Can this person witness my will? — Answer four questions to see if someone can legally witness your will in England and Wales — age, gifts, spouses, and presence.
- Is an online will legal? — Yes, if signed and witnessed correctly. Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 does not care who drafted the document.
- Can I write my own will? — Yes in England and Wales. Validity comes from correct signing, not who drafted it. The risk is mistakes, not legality.
- Do I need a solicitor for a will? — Most straightforward estates do not. Use a solicitor for tax, trusts, foreign assets, blended families or a likely dispute.
- Does SwiftWill work in Scotland? — No. SwiftWill is England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different will law. Do not use our documents there.
- How much does a will cost in the UK? — UK will prices from free charity schemes to £300+ solicitors. SwiftWill is £35 once. Full 2026 provider table.
- Free will template UK — Free wills: England and Wales template with signing instructions. Only for the simplest estates — everything to one person.
- Where to store a will — Keep the wet-ink original safe and tell your executors. Never use a bank safe-deposit box — probate needs the will first.
- Changing your will — A fresh will that revokes the old one is cleaner than a codicil. Marriage still cancels a will unless made in contemplation of it.
- Name change and your will — Change your name in England and Wales by deed poll, then remake your will. Instant Deed Poll is £14.99. SwiftWill updates stay free.
If you die without a will
- Intestacy rules UK — Who inherits if you die without a will in England and Wales. Spouse £322,000 statutory legacy. Unmarried partners inherit nothing.
- Wills for unmarried couples — No common-law marriage in England and Wales. An unmarried partner inherits nothing without a will. Mirror wills at £55.
- Can stepchildren inherit? — Not under intestacy, unless legally adopted. A will is the only reliable way to leave them anything in England and Wales.
- UK will statistics — Will ownership, intestacy, record IHT receipts and probate grants — each figure sourced and dated. Cite this page.
Family situations
- Writing a will with children — Name guardians, choose trustees, and set the age children inherit (18, 21 or 25). When an online will is the wrong tool.
- Mirror wills for couples — £55 — Two matching wills for a couple, £55 for both, instant download, free updates. Not binding on the survivor — when to skip them.
- Do both spouses need a will? — Yes. A will belongs to one person. Intestacy does not leave everything to a surviving spouse when there are children.
- Does marriage revoke a will? — Yes in England and Wales, unless the will was made in contemplation of that marriage. Make a new will after you marry.
- Does divorce affect a will? — Divorce does not revoke a will, but your ex is treated as having died on the decree absolute. Make a new will after divorce.
- Can I disinherit someone? — Yes, England and Wales allows testamentary freedom. The Inheritance Act 1975 still lets some dependants claim reasonable provision.
Executors, gifts and the document
- What is an executor? — The person who carries out your will: value the estate, apply for probate, pay debts and tax, then distribute what remains.
- Can an executor be a beneficiary? — Yes — it is the most common arrangement. They must not witness the will, or their gift fails. Substitutes still matter.
- Can a beneficiary witness a will? — They can physically witness — the will stays valid — but their gift is void under Wills Act 1837 s.15. Use independent witnesses.
- What is a beneficiary? — Anyone who inherits under a will — specific gifts, cash sums or a share of the residue. Witnesses who inherit lose the gift.
- What is a residuary estate? — Everything left after debts, funeral costs, tax and specific gifts. Most of the value of a typical will sits here.
- What is a codicil? — A formal amendment to a will, signed and witnessed like the will itself. A fresh will is usually cleaner.
- What is a letter of wishes? — A non-binding note kept with your will. It guides executors and guardians without being legally enforceable.
- Leave money to charity in a will — Charity gifts are IHT-exempt. Leaving 10% or more of the net estate can cut the IHT rate from 40% to 36%. How to do it.
- Digital legacy after death — Photos, email, social media and crypto are not covered by a will automatically. How to leave access instructions that work.
After a death
- What to do when someone dies — UK checklist: medical certificate, register within 5 days, Tell Us Once, funeral, find the will, then probate if needed.
- How to register a death — Register within 5 days at the local register office. Certificates £12.50. The registrar gives you a Tell Us Once reference.
- Tell Us Once — One reference reports a death to DWP, HMRC, Passport Office, DVLA and the council. The registrar gives you the number.
- What is probate? — Probate is legal authority to deal with an estate. £526 court fee over £5,000. When you need it and when you do not.
- Do I need probate? — Joint assets usually pass automatically. Sole-name property almost always needs a grant. Bank thresholds vary widely.
- How long does probate take? — The grant typically takes 4–12 weeks after a digital application. Full administration is usually 6–12 months.
- Probate costs UK — Court fee £526 for estates over £5,000 (from 13 July 2026) plus £1.50 copies. DIY vs solicitor cost ranges.
- Executor checklist — UK executor tasks in order: first week, valuing the estate, tax forms, applying for the grant, collecting assets, distributing.
- Bank accounts after a death — Sole accounts freeze; joint accounts pass to the survivor. Banks pay funeral costs from the estate. Thresholds and probate rules.
- What happens to debt when you die? — Debts are paid from the estate before anyone inherits. Family does not personally inherit most unsecured debts.
- Bereavement support in the UK — Practical steps after a death — register, Tell Us Once, probate — plus free UK grief support services. No sign-up.
Tools and comparisons
- Intestacy flowchart — Answer a few questions to see who inherits under England and Wales intestacy rules if there is no valid will.
- Will signing checklist — Printable Wills Act 1837 signing checklist: two witnesses, wet ink, one room. Who must not witness, and the mistakes that void a will.
- Probate checker — Answer two or three questions on property, joint assets and savings to see whether an estate is likely to need probate.
- Inheritance tax calculator — Free England and Wales IHT calculator: £325,000 nil-rate band plus £175,000 residence band, 40% above the threshold.
- Probate fees estimator — Estate value to 2026 court fee (£526 over £5,000) plus a simple IHT allowance sketch. Not a tax return.
- Solicitor vs online will cost — Compare 20-year cost of a high-street solicitor will against SwiftWill's £35 once with free lifetime updates.
- Compare UK online will services — Side-by-side comparisons of SwiftWill, Farewill, Make a Will Online, Co-op and FreeWills — price, speed, updates and upsells.
- Wills Bill tracker — Law Commission draft Wills Bill (16 May 2025): electronic wills, remote witnessing, marriage no longer revokes. Not yet law.
- Lasting power of attorney — An LPA lets people you trust act while you are alive but lack capacity. A will only acts after death. Most adults need both.