Yes, you can make a will without a solicitor in England and Wales, and a home-made will is just as legally binding as one drafted by a professional, provided it is signed and witnessed correctly. Government guidance confirms that you can write your own will, and suggests getting advice where the will is not straightforward (gov.uk, making a will, as at August 2026, subject to change).
What matters is not who writes the will but whether it meets the legal formalities. Get the witnessing wrong and the whole document can fail, so the wording of the will and the way it is signed carry equal weight. This guide walks through the validity rules, a step-by-step method, the options open to you, and the situations where doing it yourself tends to cause problems. Figures are current as at August 2026 and are subject to change.
The short answer
There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to make a will in England and Wales. A will written at your kitchen table can be valid, and there is no government fee to create one. The law that governs whether a will stands has nothing to do with who drafted it.
- It is legal. You can write your own will; the law only requires that it be made properly and witnessed correctly (gov.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change).
- The formalities decide everything. A will must be in writing, signed, and witnessed by two people in the right way, or it does not take effect.
- Some estates are better with help. Government guidance itself points to taking advice where the situation is not straightforward, for example where trusts, property abroad, a business or a blended family are involved (gov.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change).
What makes a will legally valid
For a will to be valid in England and Wales, every one of the following must hold. This is the part people most often get wrong when they write a will themselves, and a single mistake here can undo the entire document.
| Requirement | What the law asks for |
|---|---|
| Age | You must be 18 or over. |
| Mental capacity | You must be of sound mind and understand what you are doing. |
| Free choice | You must make it voluntarily, without pressure from anyone. |
| In writing | The will must be a written document. |
| Your signature | You must sign it in the presence of two witnesses who are both over 18. |
| Two witnesses | Both witnesses must then sign the same document while you watch. |
| Independent witnesses | You cannot leave anything in the will to a witness or to a witness's married partner. |
Source: gov.uk, make sure your will is legal, as at August 2026, subject to change. Your witnesses do not have to sign at the same moment as each other, but each must have a clear view of you signing.
The witness rule catches many home-made wills. If you ask a person who inherits under the will, or their husband or wife, to act as a witness, the gift to that person can fail even though the rest of the will stands (gov.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change). A safe choice of witness is a neighbour or colleague who gains nothing from the will.
How to make a will without a solicitor, step by step
The process is more about care and order than legal knowledge. These steps reflect the government guidance on making a will (gov.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change).
- List what you own and what you owe. Property, savings, investments, pensions, vehicles, personal possessions, and any debts. This is your estate.
- Decide who inherits. Name the people or charities who receive specific gifts, and who receives the remainder, known as the residue.
- Choose your executors. These are the one or more people who will carry out the will. Ask them first.
- Name guardians if you have children under 18. A will is the usual place to appoint who would care for them.
- Write it down clearly. Use plain wording that leaves no room for doubt. Confusing or contradictory wording is a common source of disputes.
- Sign it with two witnesses. Follow the witnessing rules above exactly. This is the step that makes the will legal.
- Store it safely and tell your executors where it is. A will nobody can find is of little use.
If your wishes are simple, this can be enough. Our companion guide on how to write a will goes through the drafting of each clause in more detail.
Your options for making a will yourself
Doing without a solicitor does not mean doing without any structure. There are three broad routes, and they differ in cost, support and the room they leave for error.
| Route | How it works | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Printed template or will kit | You fill in a paper form bought from a stationer or charity and sign it with witnesses. | The cheapest route. It offers no checking, so the whole burden of getting it right sits with you. |
| Online will service | You answer questions on a website and it generates a will for you to print, sign and witness. | More guided than a blank template. Quality and support vary between providers, so check what is included. |
| Will-writing service | A will writer prepares the will for you. Will writers are not the same as solicitors and are not always regulated in the same way. | More support than a template, at a fee set by the provider. Ask what qualifications and safeguards apply. |
General information on will routes drawn from gov.uk, making a will, as at August 2026, subject to change. Fees are set by each provider, not by government.
Where home-made wills go wrong
Most problems with a do-it-yourself will are avoidable, but they surface only after death, when they can no longer be fixed. The common ones are worth knowing before you start.
- Witnessing errors. The wrong number of witnesses, a beneficiary acting as a witness, or someone not watching the signing, can void the will or a gift within it.
- Unclear wording. Vague or contradictory phrases lead to disputes and sometimes to a court having to interpret what you meant.
- Leaving assets out. Forgetting the residue clause can mean part of the estate passes under the intestacy rules instead of your wishes.
- Out-of-date wills. Marriage generally revokes an earlier will, so a will made before a wedding may no longer stand (gov.uk, wills and probate, as at August 2026, subject to change).
- Missed tax and trust planning. A template cannot weigh up inheritance tax, trusts for young or vulnerable beneficiaries, or business assets.
If you die without a valid will, the intestacy rules decide who inherits, and unmarried partners receive nothing under those rules (gov.uk, intestacy rules, as at August 2026, subject to change). That is the outcome a home-made will is meant to prevent, so the formalities are worth getting right. Where an estate may face inheritance tax, our guide to inheritance tax sets out the thresholds; the standard rate is 40% on the part of an estate above the available allowances, with a reduced rate of 36% where at least 10% of the net estate passes to charity (gov.uk, inheritance tax, as at August 2026, subject to change).
After you sign: storing and updating
A will only helps if it can be found and remains current. Keep the signed original somewhere safe and make sure your executors know where it is. Do not staple, pin or attach anything to it, as marks suggesting a removed document can raise questions later.
To change a will, you cannot simply cross things out. You make an official addition called a codicil, which must be signed and witnessed in the same way as the will, or you write a new will (gov.uk, updating your will, as at August 2026, subject to change). A will is also one part of a wider plan. A lasting power of attorney covers decisions while you are alive, and registering one with the Office of the Public Guardian costs £92 per power (gov.uk, register a lasting power of attorney, as at August 2026, subject to change). Our overview of estate planning explains how the pieces fit together.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
This guide describes England and Wales. Scotland has its own succession law, including legal rights that can entitle a spouse and children to a fixed share of an estate regardless of the will, and its witnessing rules differ (mygov.scot, wills, as at August 2026, subject to change). Northern Ireland has a separate but broadly similar system to England and Wales (nidirect, making a will, as at August 2026, subject to change). If your estate touches more than one jurisdiction, it can be worth taking advice in each.
- You can make a will without a solicitor, and it is fully legal if made correctly (gov.uk).
- You must be 18 or over, of sound mind, and act voluntarily (gov.uk).
- The will must be signed in front of 2 witnesses over 18, who then sign it themselves (gov.uk).
- A witness or their spouse cannot inherit under the will (gov.uk).
- To change it, use a codicil or make a new will; you cannot amend by hand (gov.uk).
Frequently asked questions
Can I write my own will without a solicitor in the UK?
Yes. In England and Wales you can write your own will, and it is legally binding as long as it meets the formal requirements, mainly that you are 18 or over, of sound mind, and that it is signed in the presence of two witnesses over 18 who also sign it (gov.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change). Government guidance suggests getting advice where the will is not straightforward.
Is a handwritten or home-made will legal in the UK?
A handwritten or home-made will is legal in England and Wales if it meets the same requirements as any other will, including being signed and witnessed correctly by two people (gov.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change). The document being home-made does not weaken it; a mistake in the witnessing or the wording does.
How much does it cost to make a will without a solicitor?
There is no government fee to create a will, so the cost depends only on the route you choose. A printed template can cost very little, while an online will service or a will-writing service charges a fee set by the provider (gov.uk, making a will, as at August 2026, subject to change). Registering a related lasting power of attorney is separate and costs £92 per power (gov.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change).
Who can witness my will?
Any two people aged 18 or over who are not beneficiaries can witness your will, and they must both be present when you sign it (gov.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change). You cannot leave anything in the will to a witness or to a witness's married partner, so it is safer to choose people who gain nothing from it.
Does a will need to be registered in England and Wales?
No. A will does not need to be registered with any authority to be valid, and it takes effect once it is correctly signed and witnessed (gov.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change). What matters is keeping the signed original safe and making sure your executors know where to find it.
When should I use a solicitor instead of making a will myself?
Government guidance points to getting advice where a will is not straightforward, for example where there are trusts, property abroad, a business, or a blended family, or where you share property with someone who is not your spouse or civil partner (gov.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change). Where inheritance tax may apply, many people also take advice so allowances and reliefs are considered before anything is fixed.