More homemade wills fail at signing than at any other point — studies suggest 20 to 30 per cent of homemade wills fail on execution errors. The ceremony below is the whole of the law on the point, from section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 and the government's guidance at gov.uk/make-will. Allow about 15 minutes.
The signing ceremony, step by step
- Gather both witnesses in one room. Choose two independent adults aged 18 or over — never beneficiaries of the will, nor anyone married to or in a civil partnership with a beneficiary. Everyone stays together until the whole process is finished.
- Sign the will in front of both witnesses. With both witnesses watching, sign your usual signature at the end of the will. If you signed earlier, acknowledge the signature to both witnesses while they are together.
- Each witness signs in your presence. Each witness then signs the will in your presence, and writes their full name, address and occupation in the spaces provided. Witnesses sign one at a time, but always with you present.
- Date the will. Write the date on which everyone signed in the space provided. Your will is now legally valid.
- 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 can — and cannot — witness
Witnesses must be adults aged 18 or over and independent. The rule that catches people out: a witness must never be a beneficiary of the will, nor the spouse or civil partner of a beneficiary. The will itself remains valid if they do — but the gift to that beneficiary fails under section 15 of the Wills Act 1837. A witness does not need to read your will; they are witnessing your signature, not the contents. Full detail on our who can witness a will page.
The attestation clause
Every properly drafted will ends with an attestation clause — 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 the evidence, years later, that the ceremony was done correctly. Every SwiftWill includes one automatically.
Wet ink only — no e-signatures
Execution must be physical: wet ink on paper. Electronic signatures are not valid for wills, and the temporary COVID-19 easement allowing witnessing by video ended on 31 January 2022. The Law Commission's draft Wills Bill (published 16 May 2025) proposes electronic wills and remote witnessing, but it is not yet law — follow our Wills Bill tracker and sign on paper until Parliament acts.
What invalidates a will
- 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)
Printable witnessing checklist
Every SwiftWill delivery includes a one-page witnessing instruction card covering everything above — print it and keep it with your will on signing day. You can download the checklist PDF here.