Is an online will as valid as a solicitor’s will?

Yes — the legal test is identical for both. A will is valid if it is in writing, signed by you with the intention of giving it effect, in the presence of two witnesses present together, who then sign in your presence. A solicitor’s letterhead adds nothing to validity; correct signing adds everything.

Does a will have to be written by a solicitor?

No. Will writing is not a reserved legal activity under the Legal Services Act 2007, which means anyone — including you, or an online service — can draft a will. What matters is that the document is properly drafted and correctly signed and witnessed.

Can an online will be challenged in court?

Any will can be challenged, online or solicitor-drafted. The grounds are the same: faulty signing, lack of mental capacity, undue influence, or a claim by a dependant under the Inheritance Act 1975. A well-drafted online will signed correctly is as robust as any other — which is why our signing instructions are so emphatic.

Why do some solicitors say online wills are risky?

The legitimate concern is suitability, not legality. Complex estates — inheritance tax exposure, trusts, business or foreign assets, blended families, likely disputes — need tailored advice, and an online will is the wrong tool there. For straightforward estates, the Law Society’s own guidance recognises online wills as a valid option. Our suitability check redirects anyone who needs a solicitor.

Is a free downloaded will template legal?

It can be, if it is drafted for England and Wales law, completed correctly, and signed and witnessed to the s.9 standard. The common failures are templates written for other jurisdictions, contradictory hand-written amendments, and execution errors. Our free template at /free-will-template/ is England-and-Wales-drafted and includes signing instructions.

Will electronic wills become legal?

Possibly. The Law Commission published a draft Wills Bill on 16 May 2025 proposing electronic wills and remote witnessing, but it is not yet law and there is no confirmed timetable. Until Parliament acts, every will — including ours — must be printed and signed in wet ink with two physically present witnesses. We track developments on our Wills Bill page.

Is an Online Will Legal in the UK? Yes — Here's the Law (2026)

The law: section 9 of the Wills Act 1837

A will is valid in England and Wales only if all of the following are true (Wills Act 1837, s.9; see also gov.uk/make-will):

Section 9 Wills Act 1837 requirements and what they mean in practice
The requirement	What it means in practice
It is in writing	Your will exists as a physical (or at least written) document — not a conversation, voicemail or video.
Signed by the testator (or by someone in their presence and at their direction)	You sign the will yourself; only if you physically cannot may someone sign for you, in front of you and at your direction.
The testator intended the signature to give effect to the will	You sign meaning it to be your will — not a draft or a note.
The signature is made or acknowledged in the presence of TWO witnesses, both present at the same time	Both witnesses watch you sign (or hear you acknowledge your signature) together, in the same room, at the same time.
Each witness then signs (or acknowledges their signature) in the testator's presence	Each witness signs while you watch. Everyone stays together until all three signatures are done.

Notice what is not on that list: who drafted the document. The law does not care whether your will came from a solicitor, an online service, or a stationery-shop template — only that it is properly drafted and correctly executed.

No solicitor is required

Will writing is not a reserved legal activity under the Legal Services Act 2007 — no licence is required to draft wills, and no solicitor or notary needs to be involved for a will to be valid. You must be 18 or over and have testamentary capacity (the Banks v Goodfellow test), and the signing must be physical: wet ink on paper. E-signatures are not valid for wills, and the COVID-19 video-witnessing easement ended on 31 January 2022.

How SwiftWill keeps your will valid

Rules-engine validation — your answers are checked as you go (ages, shares totalling 100%, executor counts), so structural errors are caught before payment, not after probate.
Proper drafting — your will is generated with the standard clauses in the standard order, including a correctly worded attestation clause recording the s.9 ceremony.
The signing card — every delivery includes a step-by-step witnessing instruction card, because execution errors are the number-one DIY failure point (studies suggest 20–30% of homemade wills fail on execution).
The honesty gate — if your situation needs a solicitor, our suitability check says so before you pay.

When an online will is NOT appropriate

Legality is not the same as suitability. Inheritance tax planning, trusts, business or foreign assets, blended-family protection, excluding a dependant, capacity doubts, or a likely dispute all need tailored advice — read the honest breakdown at do I need a solicitor for a will?

What courts actually look at

If a will is ever challenged, the questions are: was it executed correctly (the s.9 ceremony)? Did the person have capacity? Did they intend the document to be their will, free of undue influence? And is anyone entitled to claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975? A correctly signed online will answers the first three exactly as a solicitor-drafted one does.

Is an online will legal in the UK?