How to Write a Will in the UK

A will is simply a legal document that says what should happen to your money, property, and possessions after you die, and who should look after any children under 18. Despite how important it is, a huge number of UK adults do not have one — often because it feels complicated or morbid to start. In practice, the core of a valid will is fairly simple.

What a will actually needs to cover

At minimum, a clear will typically covers:

• Executors — the person or people you trust to carry out your wishes and handle the practical process (see our probate guide for what this involves).
• Beneficiaries — who gets what, whether that's specific items, sums of money, or shares of whatever is left (your "estate") once debts and expenses are settled.
• Guardians — if you have children under 18, who should care for them if both parents or carers die.
• Specific wishes — anything particular you want to happen, such as a specific gift to a person or charity.

Your options for actually making one

There are a few common routes to writing a will in the UK:

• A solicitor. Generally the safest option for anything beyond very simple circumstances, especially if you own property with someone you're not married to, have a blended family, run a business, or have a larger estate. A solicitor makes sure the will is valid and reduces the risk of it being successfully challenged later.
• An online will-writing service. A more affordable and faster option for straightforward situations, often with some level of guidance or review built in. See our guide on will costs for how this compares to a solicitor.
• Writing it yourself. Legally possible, but genuinely risky — small mistakes in wording or signing can invalidate a will entirely, which usually only comes to light after you've died and can no longer fix it.

What makes a will legally valid

In England and Wales, for a will to be valid it generally needs to be in writing, signed by you, and signed by two independent witnesses who are both present at the same time and who are not beneficiaries (or married to a beneficiary) — a beneficiary witnessing the will can invalidate their own inheritance. You also need to be of sound mind and making the will voluntarily, without pressure from anyone else. These requirements exist precisely to prevent disputes and fraud, so they are followed strictly by courts.

Common mistakes that cause problems later

A few of the most common issues that cause wills to be contested, delayed, or partially invalid: getting the witnessing rules wrong, using vague wording that could mean more than one thing, forgetting to update the will after a major life change (marriage in England and Wales usually cancels an earlier will automatically, for instance), and not accounting for jointly owned property correctly, which sometimes passes outside the will entirely regardless of what it says.

Keeping it safe and telling people where it is

A will only helps if it can actually be found after you die. Common options include storing it with your solicitor, in a bank's deed storage service, or via the government's official Wills Registration service — and, whichever you choose, telling your executors where it is.

Reviewing your will over time

A will isn't a one-time task. It's worth reviewing it after major life events — marriage, divorce, having children, buying property, or a big change in your finances — since circumstances that felt settled when you wrote it can change significantly over the years.

This is general information about the law in England and Wales, not personalised legal advice. Rules, thresholds and processes change, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules in places — for anything that depends on your own circumstances, it is worth speaking to a solicitor (ideally one accredited by STEP or Solicitors for the Elderly) or checking GOV.UK and Citizens Advice for current detail.