Mirror wills
Two matching wills for a couple, usually leaving everything to each other.
Suits: Couples, married or not
The one piece of paperwork you won’t be around to fix
Making a will
Say who gets what, who looks after your children and who sorts it all out, so the people you love don’t have to guess.
Plain English, and nobody will try to sell you anything.
Everything that goes with a will.
A will is the start. These are the other things worth sorting while you’re at it.
Power of attorney
Someone you trust to decide for you if you can’t.
Suits: Every adult, not just older people
Funeral wishes
Burial or cremation, hymns or heavy metal: write it down.
Probate
What your executors will have to do, and how to make it easier.
Putting cover in trust
So your life insurance pays out faster, to the right people.
Suits: Anyone with life insurance
Inheritance Tax
Who pays it, who doesn’t, and what’s exempt.
Why make a will?
You decide who gets what. Without a will, the law decides, and it may not be who you’d choose.
Unmarried partners get nothing by law. If you live together but aren’t married or in a civil partnership, your partner doesn’t automatically inherit.
You can name guardians. Say who you’d want to bring up your children if you both die.
It makes things easier for your family. A clear will, with executors named, saves time, cost and arguments.
How to make a will.
It needn’t take long. It does need to be done properly.
Step 1Work out what you have, and who it’s for.
Your home, savings, pensions, life insurance and the things that matter. Then who should get them, and who’ll be your executors.
Step 2Get it written.
A solicitor or a professional will writer can draft it for you. For anything complicated, such as a business or a blended family, use a solicitor.
- Step 3
Sign it, with two witnesses.
Sign in front of two independent witnesses, who sign too. Keep it somewhere safe, and tell your executors where.
Questions about wills.
Short answers for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
What happens if I die without a will?
Your estate is shared out under the rules of intestacy. A married partner or civil partner and children usually inherit; an unmarried partner, stepchildren and friends don’t.
Who can witness my will?
Two adults who are there when you sign. They shouldn’t be anyone who inherits under the will, or married to someone who does, or that gift may fail.
Can I write my own will?
You can, but mistakes are common and can make it invalid. If your affairs are anything other than simple, a solicitor is worth it.
Does getting married affect my will?
In England and Wales, marriage or a civil partnership usually cancels an existing will, unless it was made with that marriage in mind. Divorce doesn’t cancel it, but your ex is treated as if they’d died.
How often should I update it?
Whenever life changes: a new partner, a child, a house, a divorce or a death. Otherwise, a look every few years.
Does my will cover my life insurance?
Only if the policy isn’t in trust. A policy written in trust pays the trustees directly, outside your will, and usually faster.
Useful information
The official guide
gov.uk explains what makes a will valid and how to change one: gov.uk/make-will.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
The rules are different. In Scotland, for example, a will needs only one witness and children have a right to part of the estate. Use a solicitor where you live.
Life insurance and your will
Putting your policy in trust keeps the payout out of your estate. See putting cover in trust.
Still need support?
Ask a real person where to start with your will. Nobody will try to sell you anything.
Monday–Thursday 9am–7pm, Friday 9am–3pm
