How to Make a Will in the UK: Step by Step
Decide what you own, who gets it and who deals with it. Then put it in writing and sign it in front of two independent adult witnesses who are both present.
Read guideGuides on getting started. Free, practical advice for England and Wales.
Decide what you own, who gets it and who deals with it. Then put it in writing and sign it in front of two independent adult witnesses who are both present.
Read guideYes. Your spouse does not automatically inherit everything, joint ownership does not cover what happens if you both die, and marrying cancels any earlier will.
Read guideUnmarried partners have no automatic inheritance rights in England and Wales. Without a will, your partner could receive nothing from your estate, regardless of how long you have lived together.
Read guideA beneficiary is anyone who receives a gift from your estate. Here is how different types of beneficiary work and what happens if one dies before you do.
Read guideTo make a valid will you must have "testamentary capacity" — a legal standard for mental competence set out by a court case in 1870 and still in use today.
Read guideA will needs two independent witnesses who are present when you sign. Get this wrong and the will, or a gift in it, may be invalid. Here is exactly who can and cannot witness.
Read guideDying without a will means the rules of intestacy decide who inherits. The results can be surprising — and they do not consider who you actually wanted to benefit.
Read guideYes. English law does not require a solicitor to make a valid will. But how you write it matters. Here is when DIY works, when online services are appropriate, and when a solicitor is genuinely worth the cost.
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