Will Writing

Welcome to Make A Will Online. We provide you with information about making a will on the internet. Your will, or "Last Will And Testament" as it is sometimes known, is the legally binding document that ensures any possessions you leave behind in death are distributed according to your wishes.

Benjamin Franklin famously said that "in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes", however it is estimated that less than a third of eligible adults in England and Wales actually have a fully legal will. If you want to make a will, the most popular option is to visit a solicitor. This is highly recommended if you are leaving a large estate, have assets overseas or any unusual clauses that push your will outside usual boundaries.

Contrary to popular belief, however, you don't need a solicitor present to write a will. If you wish to divide your UK assets simply among family, friends and charity (which is true of 99% of wills in England and Wales), you have the option of a will writing kit or making a will online.

UK Wills and Will Writing - Make A Will Online

Making A Legal Will - Free Will Writing?

Writing a will is very important as it is the only way to ensure that your money, assets and posessions are distributed to your wishes in the event of your death. Will writing software is a popular option for anyone looking to create a last will and testament. For under £30, you can create a document that can be used after your death to allocate any remaining possessions to those that matter to your.

The most popular option is to visit your solicitor to create a will. The benefit of this is that many solicitors specialise in Wills and Probate and can talk you through every step of the process. The downside of using a solicitor for will writing is that the service is usually expensive (certainly in comparison to "do it yourself" options). There are free will writing services available for over-55s from select solicitors (in association with Cancer Research UK) and for members of the NASUWT (National Teachers' Union).

If you are not eligible for free will writing, you should weigh up the cost of making a will against the potential problems for your surviving friends and family in the event that you have not taken this step. Making a will online is a cheap and secure way of ensuring that your estate is divided exactly as you wish.

More About Will Writing From BBC Online

Probate

After a person's death, somebody has to deal with the deceased's remaining property, money and possessions (known as their "estate") by collecting in all the money, clearing any remaining debts (as these cannot be inherited in British law) and distributing what is left to those people specified in the last will and testament.

If there is no legally valid will, the estate will be divided according to the law of England and Wales. Probate is the court’s authority. This is given to a person (or persons) to administer the deceased’s estate. The Probate Service issue a document called a Grant of Representation. This Grant of Representation is usually required by the asset holders as evidence that correct person or persons have the authority of the Probate Service to administer a deceased person’s estate according to the law.

HMCS Probate Service

Make A Fully Legal Will

There are many reasons to make a will. Who do you want your money and posessions to go to when you pass away?

If you don't have a witnessed, legally binding will in place, the division of your property will be decided according to the law. This can cause major problems for unmarried couples (an estimated one in six of all cohabiting UK couples), as the surviving partner does not automatically inherit. The children and parents of the deceased party are first in line to inherit, followed by surviving relatives in an order specified by the law. Writing a Will means you can choose your executor. If this sounds a little scary, fear not as it is actually the person who administrators your estate. You can also dictate legal guardians for any children you may have and specify any gifts to family or friends. Where a couple subsequently marries the Will is automatically revoked unless specifically made "in consideration of marriage/civil partnership"