What should you gather before writing a will?
Prepare the names and addresses of your beneficiaries and executors, any guardians you wish to appoint, and your wishes if someone dies before you. Ask the people involved before naming them. Keep an asset list separately; never put passwords or private wallet keys in a will.
What decisions are worth making before opening the questionnaire?
| Decision | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Who should act? | Choose willing executors and consider who could act if the first choice cannot. Collect their full names and addresses. |
| Who should inherit? | Distinguish specific gifts from the remainder of your estate. Decide what should happen if a beneficiary dies before you. |
| Who depends on you? | Identify children and other dependants. Consider guardians where appropriate and get advice about additional needs or difficult family arrangements. |
| What passes separately? | Check the ownership of your home and contact pension and insurance providers about their arrangements. An asset list alone does not tell you what your will controls. |
| How will you finish? | Plan printing, independent witnesses, a safe place for the original and a way for your executors to find it. |
When should you get advice first?
Shared property with an unmarried partner, overseas assets, a business, dependants who cannot care for themselves and complicated family arrangements may need professional advice. The planner treats uncertainty as a reason to investigate before buying. See GOV.UK: writing your will.
How does the planner handle different situations?
Example: a parent with straightforward wishes. Someone living in England or Wales, with children and no identified complexity, receives steps to consider guardians, choose executors and prepare beneficiary wishes. That is a preparation route. The paid interview still asks separate suitability questions before any document is purchased.
Example: a couple unsure how their home is owned. Selecting “not sure” about complexity directs them towards advice. They should find out whether they own as joint tenants or tenants in common before assuming either person can leave a share in a will. The planner does not inspect a property title or recommend changing it.
These examples illustrate how the tool routes answers; they are not customer stories or individual recommendations. Read what a will does not cover if your uncertainty concerns pensions, property or lifetime decisions.
What happens after you have a document?
Arrange proper signing and witnessing, keep the original safe, and tell your executors where it is. A PDF alone does not complete those steps. Use our free executor handover to organise the practical information.