What makes any will legally valid?
The same rules apply to every will, whether it was prepared online, by a solicitor or by hand.
| Requirement | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Age | You must be 18 or over. | Wills Act 1837, s.7 |
| Writing | The will must be in writing. Typed, printed and handwritten wills all count. | s.9 |
| Signature | Signed by you, or by someone else in your presence and at your direction, intending it to give effect to the will. | s.9 |
| Two witnesses | You sign or acknowledge your signature with two witnesses present at the same time; each then signs in your presence. | s.9 |
| Voluntary and of sound mind | You make the will of your own free will and understand what you are doing. | GOV.UK |
Using an online service does not itself invalidate a will. Correct execution is one part of validity; capacity, free choice and knowing and approving the contents also matter. The signing steps are set out in how to sign and witness a will.
Does a will have to be drafted by a solicitor?
No. Under section 12 of the Legal Services Act 2007, the reserved legal activities are rights of audience, conducting litigation, reserved instrument activities, probate activities, notarial activities and administering oaths. Writing a will is not on the list. The Competition and Markets Authority puts it simply: anyone in the UK can write a will.
That does not mean a solicitor adds nothing. A regulated firm has to meet its regulator's standards, and complaints about certain problems can go to the Legal Ombudsman. An online service can be regulated or unregulated: check the business itself, not just whether it employs a solicitor. General consumer protections also apply. See do I need a solicitor for a will.
Is an online will the same as an electronic will?
No. An online will is prepared on a website, then printed and signed on paper in the usual way. That is legal today. An electronic will, signed and stored digitally, is a different thing.
The Law Commission's report of 16 May 2025 says it is not clear whether an electronic will could be valid under the Wills Act 1837, and recommends new rules requiring a reliable system to secure it. The government has said it is considering the report, but no Bill has been introduced to Parliament. Temporary video witnessing covered only wills made from 31 January 2020 to 31 January 2024. Follow the reform on the Wills Bill tracker.
What does an online will service check, and what can it not check?
Services differ, so compare the scope rather than the label "online". SwiftWill checks structured details such as ages, required fields and residue shares adding up to 100%, shows a preview before payment, and provides signing instructions. Other providers add a human review or a consultation.
No automated check can confirm that you own an asset, that you are free from pressure, or that you have mental capacity. It cannot guarantee that a court would uphold the will or reject a claim against it. We do not publish a failure rate for homemade or online wills because we have not found a reliable study that measures one.
Can you use an AI chatbot to write a will?
AI-generated wording is not proof that a will is valid, suitable or complete. The Solicitors Regulation Authority describes the risk of plausible but incorrect AI output, including legal products that fail to achieve what a consumer intended. A confident answer or a convincing reference is not a check of your own circumstances.
An AI draft still needs the same scrutiny as any other draft: the right jurisdiction, clear beneficiaries and gifts, arrangements for the rest of the estate, and wording you understand. It does not remove the usual legal requirements. Use the preparation and draft-checking steps, and seek individual advice if you cannot explain a clause or need a trust, tax planning or disputed-family arrangements. Avoid putting real names, financial records or a private will into a general chatbot just to explore an example; check its data policy before sharing personal information.
SwiftWill assembles its document from structured answers and templates. This is different from asking a general chatbot to invent a will, but it still does not include an individual legal review. The annotated sample explains the document you can preview. The AI-drafting section and provider-scope clarification were checked on 30 September 2026.
How do you check whether an online will service is safe to use?
Check who supplies it, what they will check and what happens to your information. A claim that a will is "legal" does not answer all three questions. Before entering personal details or paying, work through this checklist:
- Service: identify the business, its jurisdiction and any regulator; check whether a person reviews your document and what that review includes.
- Price and support: read the total cost, update terms, cancellation information, complaints process and any optional storage or executor charges.
- Document: understand what you can preview, how corrections work and who arranges printing and witnesses.
- Privacy: check where drafts, downloads and emails are held, how to clear a shared-device draft and what you must keep for future updates.
The CMA's consumer checklist explains what to ask a will writer. For SwiftWill, read the privacy policy, service terms and refund policy, then compare the automated and solicitor routes. This service-selection checklist was checked on 30 September 2026.
Can an online will be challenged?
Yes, in the same ways as any other will. The main grounds are:
- the will was not signed and witnessed as section 9 requires;
- the person lacked mental capacity or did not know and approve the contents;
- the will was made under undue influence;
- a family member or dependant applies for reasonable financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.
If you expect a dispute, or there is any doubt about capacity, a solicitor can gather evidence at the time the will is made. An automated service cannot. Read can I disinherit someone if you plan to leave out a close family member. The guide to contesting a will explains the different kinds of dispute.
When is an online will not suitable?
GOV.UK recommends professional advice if you share property with someone who is not your spouse or civil partner, want to provide for a dependant who cannot care for themselves, have family who may make a claim, live outside the UK, own property overseas or own a business. Trusts, tax planning and capacity doubts also need advice. SwiftWill's screening questions stop the interview before payment in these situations. SwiftWill also covers England and Wales only; see wills in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
If none of those apply, you can use the free will planner, read the annotated sample will, or compare free and paid routes before deciding. SwiftWill costs £35 for a single will or £55 for a pair, with a preview before you pay.
Sources
- Wills Act 1837, section 7 and section 9
- GOV.UK: Make sure your will is legal and Write your will
- Legal Services Act 2007, section 12
- Competition and Markets Authority: What to consider when buying will writing services (9 October 2024)
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Artificial intelligence in the legal market (AI-drafting section checked 30 September 2026)
- Law Commission: Modernising Wills Law, summary (16 May 2025)
- Ministry of Justice: Government response to the Law Commission report (16 May 2025)
- Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, section 1
Original guide sources checked 24 September 2026. The updated validity summary, provider-scope and service-selection guidance, and AI-drafting section were checked against GOV.UK, the Law Commission, the CMA and the SRA on 30 September 2026.