---
title: "How to sign a will"
description: "Sign in wet ink with two independent witnesses present together. Section 9 Wills Act 1837, step by step, plus who must not witness."
url: "https://swiftwill.co.uk/how-to-sign-a-will/"
author: "Marcus Kaiser"
date_modified: "2026-08-22"
---

# How to sign a will

Print the will, gather two independent adults in one room, sign in wet ink while both watch, then each witness signs in your presence. That ceremony is section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 — who drafted the document does not matter. Skip this page if you cannot gather two witnesses together; electronic signatures are not valid.

> SwiftWill provides legal information and software for England & Wales under Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. Figures are taken from gov.uk, legislation.gov.uk and HMCTS, checked 12 August 2026. We have not given you legal advice — this is general information.

In short

How to sign a will in the UK, for England and Wales: print the paper, put two independent
 adults in one room, sign in wet ink while both watch, then each witness signs in your
 presence. That is the whole of
 [section 9 of the Wills Act 1837](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4and1Vict/7/26/section/9)
 . An unsigned download is not a will. Start the ceremony today if the document is ready.

More homemade wills fail at signing than at any other point — studies of homemade wills
 suggest 20 to 30 per cent fail on execution errors. The government overview is
 [gov.uk/make-will](https://www.gov.uk/make-will)
 . This page is the signing cluster, not
 [how to make a will in the UK](/how-to-make-a-will/). If you have not drafted
 the document yet, start there.

Electronic signatures are not valid. Video witnessing ended on 31 January 2022. Scotland
 and Northern Ireland have different formalities — do not use this ceremony there. Skip a
 DIY signing if the person is blind, illiterate, or capacity might later be challenged.
 Checked 22 August 2026.

## How do you sign a will in the UK at a glance?

How to sign a will in the UK (England and Wales): two independent adult witnesses, one
 room, wet ink, then each witness signs in your presence. About 15 minutes. No notary. No
 solicitor. No e-signature. Video calls do not count. The PDF is not the will until this
 ceremony is done.

- 2 witnesses Independent adults, both present together when you sign. That is the whole of section 9.
- Wet ink Paper, pen, physical signatures. Electronic signatures are not valid for wills today.
- ~15 min The ceremony itself. Print first. Do not improvise. Use the witnessing card.
- 31 Jan 2022 Video witnessing ended. The draft Wills Bill is not yet law. Sign in the room.

## How do you sign a will so it is legally valid?

Gather two independent adult witnesses in one room, sign the will in wet ink while both
 watch, then each witness signs in your presence and adds their name, address and occupation.
 Date it. That is the entire section 9 ceremony. Skip video calls, e-signatures and
 "I'll get the second witness tomorrow" — none of those count today.

Printable page: [will signing checklist](/tools/signing-checklist/). Storage
 after the ink is dry: [where to store a will](/where-to-store-a-will/). Every
 SwiftWill delivery includes a one-page witnessing card; you can also
 [download the PDF](/api/witnessing-card/).

If you signed earlier, alone, you can still save the document: acknowledge that signature
 to both witnesses while they are together, then they sign in your presence. Acknowledgement
 is as good as signing in front of them — but they must both be there for the
 acknowledgement. One on Monday and one on Tuesday still fails.

Initial every page if the will runs to more than one sheet, and do not staple, pin or
 paperclip anything to it. Attachments suggest pages may be missing when a probate registry
 later inspects the original. Use a plain paperclip only to keep pages together before
 signing, then remove it.

## What does section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 require?

Section 9 requires a written will, signed by you (or by someone in your presence and at
 your direction) intending it to take effect, with that signature made or acknowledged in
 the presence of two witnesses present at the same time, who then each sign or acknowledge
 in your presence. Who drafted the file is not on the list. A solicitor's letterhead
 adds nothing to validity.

The full requirement table lives on
 [is an online will legal](/is-an-online-will-legal/) — this page will not
 duplicate five rows. What this cluster adds is the ceremony in the room: where people
 stand, what they write, and the mistakes that void homemade wills even when the wording
 is perfect.

You must be 18 or over and have testamentary capacity (the *Banks v Goodfellow*
 test). England and Wales has no notarisation requirement. Scotland and Northern Ireland
 are different legal systems. Do not sign an England and Wales PDF as if it were a Scottish
 will — see [does SwiftWill work in Scotland](/scotland/).

## Who can witness a will when you sign?

Witnesses must be adults aged 18 or over and independent. A witness must never be a
 beneficiary, nor the spouse or civil partner of a beneficiary. If they are, the will stays
 valid but the gift to that beneficiary fails under
 [section 15 of the Wills Act 1837](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4and1Vict/7/26/section/15)
 . A witness does not need to read the will.

Neighbours, colleagues and friends who inherit nothing are the safer habit. Your spouse
 almost never can, because they usually inherit. An adult child who inherits must not
 witness. An executor who is not a beneficiary can. The yes/no table is on
 [who can witness a will](/who-can-witness-a-will/) — use that page, not this
 one, if the only question is eligibility. Related:
 [can a beneficiary witness](/can-a-beneficiary-witness-a-will/) and
 [can an executor be a beneficiary](/can-an-executor-be-a-beneficiary/).

Ask people likely to be contactable in years to come. If a will is challenged, a witness
 may need to confirm the ceremony. Two people with no stake in the outcome are easier to
 trace and harder to accuse of pressure. Do not use someone who is about to emigrate, or
 whose name you cannot spell on the attestation line.

## Can a beneficiary witness a will?

A beneficiary can physically watch you sign — the will itself stays valid — but their gift
 is void under section 15. The same applies to the spouse or civil partner of a
 beneficiary. It is one of the most common and most devastating DIY mistakes. Use two
 people who inherit nothing.

The rest of the will stands. Residuary gifts to other people still work. The person who
 witnessed simply drops out of their gift, as if they had died before you. If they were
 meant to receive the house, the house falls into residue or intestacy of that gift. Do
 not try to “fix” it with a sticky note. Sign a new will with independent witnesses.

Interactive check: [can this person witness my will?](/tools/witness-checker/)

## Do both witnesses need to be in the room at the same time?

Yes. Section 9 requires two witnesses present at the same time when you sign or
 acknowledge. Sequential witnessing — one neighbour this evening, the other tomorrow
 morning — is not a valid execution. Everyone stays until all three signatures are done.

“Present” means able to see you sign. They do not need to stand at your shoulder, but a
 witness in another room, on the driveway, or on a video call is not present. The COVID
 video easement is over. If one witness nips out for a cigarette between your signature
 and theirs, bring them back and start the witness signatures again while you are all
 together.

If a witness is hard of hearing or has poor sight, they can still attest if they
 understand they are witnessing a signature. If they cannot understand the act at all,
 they are not a competent witness. Choose someone who could later describe the room.

## Can you sign a will electronically?

No. Execution must be physical: wet ink on paper. Electronic signatures are not valid for
 wills in England and Wales today. DocuSign, Apple Pencil on a PDF, and a typed name in
 an email are not a will. The Law Commission’s draft Wills Bill (published 16 May 2025)
 proposes electronic wills, but it is not yet law and there is no confirmed timetable.

Follow the [Wills Bill tracker](/wills-bill-tracker/) and sign on paper until
 Parliament acts. Do not wait for the Bill: dying without a signed will means the
 [intestacy rules](/intestacy-rules/) decide everything. An online will UK
 service that emails you a PDF still needs this paper ceremony. Validity is not the
 download.

If a company tells you an e-signed will is “fine until the law catches up”, they are
 selling a risk. Courts still apply section 9. We will not pretend otherwise to win a
 citation.

## Can you sign a will by video call?

No. The temporary COVID-19 easement allowing witnessing by video ended on
 **31 January 2022**. Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Teams do not count. Both
 witnesses must be physically in the same room as you. Remote witnessing is a proposal
 in the draft Wills Bill, not the law you can use tonight.

Wills signed by video between 31 January 2020 and 31 January 2022 may still be valid if
 they met the easement’s conditions at the time. That is a narrow historic window. Do
 not copy it in 2026. If you have an old video-witnessed will, ask a solicitor whether
 it still stands — this page will not certify a past ceremony we cannot see.

## What is an attestation clause and do you need one?

An attestation clause is the short paragraph above the signatures recording that the will
 was signed in the witnesses' joint presence and that they signed in the testator's
 presence. It is not a statutory requirement, but it is the evidence, years later, that the
 ceremony was done correctly. Every SwiftWill includes one automatically.

If you are using a [free template](/free-will-template/), check that it has this
 clause before you sign. A missing clause does not automatically invalidate a will, but it
 makes a later challenge harder to defend because witnesses must then give evidence of
 the ceremony from memory. Probate registries prefer a standard clause.

Special attestation is different. If the person making the will is blind, illiterate, or
 does not read English, the clause must record that the will was read over and understood.
 Do not improvise that wording from a standard PDF. Use a solicitor. Our suitability check
 redirects before you pay.

## Does a will need to be notarised or signed by a solicitor?

No. England and Wales has no notarisation requirement for wills. Will writing is not a
 reserved legal activity. Your signature plus two independent witnesses is the entire
 execution requirement. A solicitor’s presence adds expertise and a file, not validity.

Pay a solicitor to be in the room when capacity might later be challenged (the “golden
 rule”), when special attestation is needed, or when the estate is complex — tax, trusts,
 foreign assets, a likely dispute. That is
 [do I need a solicitor for a will](/do-i-need-a-solicitor-for-a-will/), not
 this ceremony. For a straightforward estate, the neighbour and the colleague are enough.

## How do you date a will?

Write the date on which everyone signed. Dating is not listed in section 9, but an
 undated will is an argument waiting to happen about which document is last. If two
 undated wills exist, a court has to reconstruct intention. Put the date on the
 attestation block. SwiftWill includes a date line.

Use the calendar date of the ceremony, not the date you filled in the online interview.
 A will “made” on the website on Monday and signed on Saturday is a Saturday will. If you
 change a printed draft after the interview, sign the final print, not last week’s PDF.

## What mistakes invalidate a will at signing?

The failures that actually sink homemade wills are almost all ceremonial: one witness
 instead of two, witnesses signing at different times, a beneficiary watching you sign,
 unsigned alterations after the event, or signing a draft. None of these is fixed by paying
 more for the document. The signing card exists because this is where people lose.

- Signing with only one witness present, or with witnesses present at different times
- A beneficiary — or their spouse or civil partner — acting as a witness (their gift fails)
- Unsigned alterations made after signing
- Signing a draft rather than the final document
- Attaching anything to the will with pins, staples or clips (it suggests pages may be missing)

Handwritten changes after signing need the same two-witness ceremony as the will itself,
 or they fail. A fresh will that revokes the old one is cleaner than a
 [codicil](/what-is-a-codicil/) or a margin note. See
 [changing your will](/changing-your-will/).

Studies of homemade wills suggesting 20–30% fail on execution are a range, not a SwiftWill
 survey. We label them that way on
 [UK will statistics](/uk-will-statistics/). The practical lesson does not
 depend on the exact percentage: the ceremony is cheap to get right and expensive to
 litigate later.

## How do you sign a will in hospital or if you are ill?

The same section 9 ceremony still applies in a hospital, hospice or care home: two
 independent adults in the room, wet ink, both present together. Staff can witness if they
 are not beneficiaries. If the person cannot see or read the will, you need a special
 attestation clause — that is solicitor territory, not a standard online PDF.

Ask the ward what their policy is. Some hospitals prefer staff not to witness; some
 allow it. A neighbour who can visit, plus a colleague, still works if the patient can
 sit up and sign. If the person can only make a mark, a solicitor should record that the
 mark was intended as a signature, in the presence of the two witnesses.

If death is close and capacity is doubtful, do not crowd the bed with an online will.
 The golden rule exists because later challenges destroy families. Pay for a medical
 note and a solicitor’s attendance. We will not sell you a PDF for that hour.

## What should you do immediately after signing?

Store the wet-ink original somewhere safe and fire-resistant, and tell your executors
 exactly where it is. Only that original is the will. A photocopy or the PDF on your
 phone is not. Never put the original in a bank safe-deposit box — the bank often needs
 probate to open the box, and probate needs the will first.

Do not laminate it. Do not bind it with treasury tags through punched holes if you can
 avoid it — holes and marks are inspected. A simple envelope in a fireproof box at home,
 or a solicitor’s strongroom if you already have one, is enough. Full options:
 [where to store a will](/where-to-store-a-will/).

If you later remake the will (marriage, children, a house, a death), revoke the old one
 in the new document and destroy the old original or mark it clearly revoked. Two
 competing originals are how estates end up in court.

## When is this signing ceremony NOT enough?

Skip a DIY signing if the testator is blind, illiterate or does not read English — those
 situations need a special attestation clause recording that the will was read over and
 understood. Skip it if capacity could later be questioned: the "golden rule" is a
 medical assessment and a solicitor's file. Our
 [solicitor checklist](/do-i-need-a-solicitor-for-a-will/) covers both.

Also skip this page as your only instruction if you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland,
 if you need a notarial will for foreign property, or if someone else must sign at your
 direction because you physically cannot. That last route is legal under section 9, but
 it is easy to get wrong. Use a solicitor so the direction is recorded.

## The verdict: should you sign this way?

Yes, if you can gather two independent adults in one room for 15 minutes. That is the law
 for every will in England and Wales — solicitor-drafted or online. Who should skip it:
 anyone who cannot get two witnesses together, anyone who needs a special attestation
 clause, and anyone whose capacity might later be challenged. Print the checklist and
 do not improvise.

This page is not how to draft the will, not a Scotland guide, and not permission to
 e-sign. If the document does not exist yet, make it first:
 [how to make a will in the UK](/how-to-make-a-will/). If you still want the
 validity question in one place, read
 [is an online will legal](/is-an-online-will-legal/).

## Signing ceremony

1. **Gather both witnesses in one room** — Choose two independent adults aged 18 or over — never beneficiaries, nor anyone married to or in a civil partnership with a beneficiary. Everyone stays together until the whole process is finished.
2. **Sign the will in front of both witnesses** — With both watching, sign your usual signature at the end of the will in wet ink. If you signed earlier, acknowledge the signature to both witnesses while they are together.
3. **Each witness signs in your presence** — Each witness then signs the will in your presence, and writes their full name, address and occupation. They sign one at a time, but always with you present.
4. **Date the will** — Write the date on which everyone signed. Your will is now legally valid.
5. **Store it safely and tell your executors** — Only the wet-ink original is legally effective. Keep it somewhere safe and fire-resistant, tell your executors exactly where it is, and never store it in a bank safe-deposit box.

### Who must not witness

- Anyone under 18
- Anyone who inherits under the will (their gift fails — Wills Act 1837 s.15)
- The spouse or civil partner of anyone who inherits
- Witnesses who cannot be in the same room at the same time
- Video calls — that easement ended on 31 January 2022
- Electronic signatures — not valid for wills in England and Wales today

### Mistakes that invalidate a will at signing

- Signing with only one witness present, or with witnesses present at different times
- A beneficiary — or their spouse or civil partner — acting as a witness (their gift fails)
- Unsigned alterations made after signing
- Signing a draft rather than the final document
- Attaching anything to the will with pins, staples or clips (it suggests pages may be missing)

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I sign a will so it is legally valid in England and Wales?

Print the will, gather two independent adults in one room, sign in wet ink while both watch, then each witness signs in your presence and adds name, address and occupation. Date it. That ceremony is section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. Electronic signatures and video calls do not count. An unsigned PDF is not a will.

### Who can witness a will in the UK?

Any independent adult aged 18 or over who is not a beneficiary and is not the spouse or civil partner of a beneficiary. Neighbours, colleagues and friends are ideal. A witness does not need to read the will — they are witnessing your signature, not the contents.

### Can a beneficiary witness a will?

They can physically witness it — the will itself stays valid — but their gift fails. Under section 15 of the Wills Act 1837, any gift to a witness, or to a witness’s spouse or civil partner, is void. Never let anyone who stands to inherit watch you sign.

### Can my husband or wife witness my will?

Only if your spouse receives nothing under the will — which in practice almost never applies. A spouse who is a beneficiary, or who is married to a beneficiary, must not witness. Choose two independent adults instead.

### Do both witnesses really need to be in the room at the same time?

Yes. Section 9 requires your signature to be made or acknowledged in the presence of two witnesses who are both present at the same time. You cannot sign in front of one witness on Monday and the other on Tuesday.

### Can I sign my will electronically?

No. Wills in England and Wales must be signed with wet ink on paper. Electronic signatures are not valid for wills. The Law Commission’s 2025 Wills Bill proposes electronic wills, but that is not yet law. Sign on paper until Parliament acts.

### Can I sign a will by video call?

No. The temporary COVID-19 rule allowing witnessing by video ended on 31 January 2022. Both witnesses must be physically in the same room as you. Zoom, FaceTime and WhatsApp do not count.

### Does a will need to be notarised or signed by a solicitor?

No. England and Wales has no notarisation requirement for wills, and no solicitor needs to be involved. Your signature plus two witnesses is the entire legal requirement — which is why getting the signing right matters so much.

### What mistakes most often invalidate a will?

Signing with only one witness present; witnesses signing at different times; a beneficiary (or their spouse) acting as a witness; unsigned alterations made after signing; and signing a draft rather than the final document. Studies of homemade wills suggest 20 to 30 per cent fail on execution errors.

### What is an attestation clause?

The short paragraph above the signatures recording that you signed in the witnesses’ joint presence and that they signed in yours. It is not a statutory requirement, but it is the evidence, years later, that the ceremony was done. Every SwiftWill includes one.

### How do I sign a will in hospital or if I am ill?

The same section 9 ceremony still applies: two independent adults in the room, wet ink, both present together. Nurses or hospital staff can witness if they are not beneficiaries. If the person cannot see or read the will, you need a special attestation clause — that is solicitor territory, not a standard PDF.

### Do I have to date a will?

Dating is not listed in section 9, but an undated will is a gift to anyone who later wants to argue about which document is last. Write the date everyone signed. SwiftWill’s attestation block includes a date line.

### Is a photocopy or PDF a valid will?

No. Only the wet-ink original is the will. Keep it safe and tell your executors where it is. Never put it in a bank safe-deposit box — probate needs the will first, and the box is often frozen until probate is granted.

### When is the standard signing ceremony not enough?

If the testator is blind, illiterate or does not read English — those situations need a special attestation clause. If capacity could later be questioned, the “golden rule” is a medical assessment and a solicitor’s file. Skip a DIY signing there.

Canonical HTML: https://swiftwill.co.uk/how-to-sign-a-will/
Markdown: https://swiftwill.co.uk/how-to-sign-a-will.md
Last modified: 2026-08-22
Author: Marcus Kaiser (https://swiftwill.co.uk/author/marcus-kaiser/)