How to make a will online: Your complete guide

What is a will, and why is it important to make one?

A will is a legal document that sets out how your estate – your property, money, savings and possessions – should be distributed after your death. Without one, you essentially lose control over who gets what.

If you want any say in what happens to your assets, a will is essential. That includes more than just financial assets. You can also use a will to appoint guardians for children under 18, leave specific gifts to friends or family, set out your funeral wishes, and even make arrangements for your pets.

What happens if you die without a will?

Dying without a valid will is known as dying intestate. When this happens, your estate is divided according to the Rules of Intestacy – a set of legal rules that determine who inherits what. These rules don't take your personal circumstances or wishes into account.

This can cause real problems. Unmarried partners, no matter how long you've been together, have no automatic right to inherit under intestacy rules. Stepchildren are in the same position – they won't inherit unless you've legally adopted them.

Even if your situation seems straightforward, intestacy can create unnecessary complications and delays. This can be distressing for those you leave behind.

There's also a financial dimension. Dying intestate can increase the amount of Inheritance Tax (IHT) your estate pays. And without an executor nominated in a will, the legal process of settling your estate tends to be slower and more expensive.

So a will doesn't just safeguard what happens to your assets, it protects your loved ones.

A quick glossary of key terms

• Testator: The person making the will (i.e., you).
• Executor: The person who carries out the instructions in your will.
• Beneficiary: Someone who receives a gift or share of the estate under a will.
• Estate: Everything you own at the time of your death, minus any debts.
• Intestacy: Dying without a valid will. Your estate is then distributed under the Rules of Intestacy.
• Legacy: A specific gift left in a will – whether money, property or possessions.
• Probate: The legal right to administer the estate.

Can you make a will online and is it legal?

Yes, and yes. An online will can be completely legally valid, as long as it meets the required formalities. We’ll come to that in a moment.

Online will writing services have made the process accessible and affordable for many. They sit in the middle ground between two less appealing avenues: paying for a solicitor or the risk of a DIY template.

Here's how the three main options compare:

• Solicitor – Best for complex estates. If you own property abroad, run a business or have complicated family arrangements, a solicitor offers the most comprehensive protection. It's also the most expensive option, and you'll typically pay a fee each time you need to make changes.
• DIY/template – The cheapest option, but also the riskiest. Even a minor error can invalidate your will, which means your estate could end up distributed under intestacy rules, regardless of what you wrote. Only really suitable for the most straightforward of circumstances.
• Online will service – The smart option for most people. A reputable service guides you through the process step by step, often with qualified legal professionals reviewing the finished document. It's significantly cheaper than a solicitor and far more reliable than a DIY approach.

For most people with a straightforward estate (assets in the UK, no complex business interests), an online will service offers the best balance of cost and convenience. And yet you still get the peace of mind, knowing your estate is being dealt with properly.

How to make a will online: A step-by-step guide

Step 1: Choose a reputable service

Not all online will services are equal. Look for one that offers an expert review of your completed will, access to legal support if you have questions, and the ability to make changes easily in the future.

Step 2: Gather your information

Before you start, it helps to have the following to hand:

• A list of your main assets – property, savings, investments, valuables and so on
• Details of any significant debts
• The full names of your intended beneficiaries
• Who you'd like to act as executor – this should be someone you trust implicitly
• Any person you'd like to appoint as guardian to your children if they're under 18

Step 3: Complete the online questionnaire

Most online services use a guided questionnaire format that walks you through all the necessary information. This approach makes sure nothing important is missed and that the legal requirements are covered.

It's often much quicker than people expect. Many can be completed in under an hour.

Step 4: Review and expert check

As mentioned, reputable services will have a legal professional review your completed will before it's finalised. This is worth looking for, as it significantly reduces the risk of errors that could invalidate the document.

Step 5: Print and sign (this step is legally essential)

Here's the part that catches people out: even if you've written your will entirely online, it must be printed out and signed in the physical presence of two witnesses to be legally valid in the UK.

The witnesses:

• Must both be present when you sign
• Cannot be beneficiaries in the will
• Cannot be married to or in a civil partnership with a beneficiary

Once you've signed, they both sign too.

Skipping or mishandling this step means your will won't be legally valid, no matter how carefully everything else was done.

Step 6: Store it safely

Keep your will somewhere secure. Common choices include a fireproof safe at home, at your bank or a solicitor's office. Make sure your executor knows where it is.

Some online will services also offer a storage service for an additional fee, which might be worth considering.

What information do you need to include in your will?

A well-drafted will should cover the following:

• Executor – The person (or people) responsible for carrying out your wishes and administering your estate after your death. You can appoint more than one, and it's sensible to name a backup in case your first choice is unable to do it.
• Beneficiaries – Who you want to receive your estate. You can leave your entire estate to one person, divide it between several, or any combination you choose.
• Specific gifts (legacies) – Particular items or sums of money left to named individuals or organisations. For example, leaving your grandmother's ring to a sibling or a set amount to a named charity.
• The residue – Whatever remains of your estate after specific gifts and any debts, taxes and administration costs have been settled. Your will should make clear who inherits the residue.
• Guardians – If you have children under 18, you can nominate who should look after them if both parents die. This is one of the most important reasons to make a will if you have young children.
• Pets – In many ways, the law treats pets as property, so you can leave them to a named person in your will. You can't legally leave money directly to a pet, though. You can, however, leave a sum to someone on the condition that they care for your pet.
• Funeral wishes – You can include preferences for your funeral, burial or cremation. These aren't legally binding, although they give your family clear guidance. This is one less thing to worry about at a difficult time.

Does making a will affect your life insurance?

Not directly. But life insurance and wills are linked, and it's worth understanding how they interact.

Life insurance policies, particularly those written in trust, can often bypass the will and probate process entirely. A policy written in trust pays out directly to the named beneficiaries without forming part of your estate.

This means:

• The beneficiaries don’t have to wait for probate – which can be a long process – so it's typically paid out faster
• The payout falls outside the scope of inheritance tax

That said, if you have a life insurance policy that isn't written in trust – or if you haven't nominated a beneficiary – the payout forms part of your estate when you die. At that point, it's subject to your will.

If you don't have a will, it's distributed under the Rules of Intestacy.

So life insurance and a will work best together. A policy written in trust pays out directly to named beneficiaries, bypassing your estate entirely – so it moves faster and sits outside the scope of inheritance tax.

It’s worth noting that your pension works similarly, passing to whoever you've nominated with your provider rather than through your will.

A will takes care of everything else: your property, savings, investments and possessions. This is why it’s a good idea to review them all at the same time.