Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. You can make a formal amendment (called a codicil) or simply write a new will that revokes the old one. PureWill wills include a revocation clause that automatically revokes any previous wills when you sign. You should review your will after any major life event: marriage, divorce, having children, or a significant change in your assets. Note: marriage automatically revokes a will under English law.

Yes, and it is very common. Most people name their spouse or an adult child as both executor and beneficiary. Being a beneficiary does not disqualify someone from acting as executor.

The one rule to remember: witnesses to your signature must not be beneficiaries, or the spouse or civil partner of a beneficiary. If they are, the witness does not lose their role as witness, but they do lose their gift under the will.

Executors can be beneficiaries. Witnesses cannot.

No. Registration is not required for a will to be valid in England and Wales. Your will is legally binding whether or not it is registered.

That said, registering it with the National Will Register (run by Certainty at certainty.co.uk) makes it far easier for your executor to find after your death. It costs around £20 and only takes a few minutes. It does not change the legal status of the will; it simply creates a searchable record of where the original is kept.

It is not compulsory, but it is worth doing.

No. Changing your name — by deed poll, marriage, or any other legal process — does not automatically cancel or invalidate your will.

However, there will be a mismatch between the name in your will and your legal name at death. Your executor will need to prove to the Probate Registry, banks, and other institutions that the two names belong to the same person. The standard way to do this is to produce your deed poll alongside the will.

To avoid any complications, the best approach is to write a new will in your new legal name. This removes all ambiguity and is straightforward to do. Alternatively, keep your deed poll stored with your existing will so your executor can find both documents easily.

Read our full guide: Does Changing Your Name Invalidate Your Will?

Yes. Getting married in England and Wales automatically revokes any will you made before the marriage, even if that will was written recently.

If you do not make a new will after marrying, your estate will be distributed under the rules of intestacy when you die. That may not reflect your wishes, particularly if you have children from a previous relationship or want to leave specific things to specific people.

The only exception is a will written "in contemplation of marriage" — one that explicitly states it is intended to survive a specific forthcoming marriage. These are unusual and need to be drafted carefully.

If you have recently married, you almost certainly need a new will.

Most people finish in 20–30 minutes. The process is broken into clear steps: your personal details, executors, beneficiaries, specific gifts, guardians, and funeral wishes. You can save your progress and come back to it at any time using your email address and date of birth.

A straightforward will costs between £79 and £400, depending on how you write it.

Online services like PureWill charge £79 for a single will or £129 for mirror wills for couples. Solicitors typically charge £150 to £400 for a simple will. Complex wills involving trusts or inheritance tax planning cost more and should always involve a solicitor.

Free options exist for people aged 55 and over. Free Wills Month runs in March and October, with participating solicitors offering free simple wills. Will Aid runs every November, with a suggested charitable donation in place of a fee.

DIY templates are available for free or around £30, but errors in wording or signing can invalidate a will entirely. A structured online service includes all the legally required clauses in the correct format.

Yes. A handwritten will is legally valid in England and Wales, provided it is signed by the person making the will in the presence of two independent adult witnesses who also sign in your presence at the same time.

Whether the will is handwritten or typed makes no difference in law. The only thing that matters is that it is in writing (not electronic), correctly signed, and correctly witnessed.

The risk with handwritten wills is ambiguity. Unclear wording, missing clauses (such as a revocation clause or an executor appointment), or errors in the signing process can cause problems for your estate. A structured template includes all the legally required elements in the correct format, which reduces that risk considerably.

Yes, provided it is correctly signed and witnessed. PureWill produces wills that comply with the Wills Act 1837. The key requirement is that you sign the will in the presence of two independent adult witnesses (aged 18+, not beneficiaries) who also sign in your presence at the same time. The document itself can be prepared by any means — online, typed, or handwritten.

If a will is not signed correctly, for example if the witnesses were not present at the same time or were beneficiaries, it is likely to be invalid. An invalid will is treated as if no will exists, meaning your estate passes under the rules of intestacy. This is why PureWill includes detailed signing instructions in every PDF.

A codicil is a formal amendment to an existing will. It is a separate document, signed and witnessed in the same way as the original will, that adds to, changes, or removes specific parts of your will without replacing it entirely.

For minor changes, a codicil works fine. For significant changes — a new main beneficiary, a new executor, a major redistribution of the estate — writing a new will is usually cleaner. A new will includes a revocation clause that cancels all previous wills, which avoids any ambiguity between the original document and its amendments.

PureWill does not currently offer codicils. If you need to make changes to an existing will, the straightforward option is to write a new one.

A single will covers one person. A mirror will is a pair of two separate wills for couples, where each will leaves everything to the other partner first, then to the same backup beneficiaries (usually children). Mirror wills are two independent documents — either person can change theirs at any time.