Writing A Will: What To Remember

Writing a will is very important because if you die without a will there can be tricky legal consequences. Many people put off writing a will but it doesn’t have to be daunting and our partnership with Beyond can really help you. 

Things to remember when writing a will 

• For your will to be legal, you must be over 18 years old. 
• You must be of sound mind and acting voluntarily. 
• When you write a will, it must be ‘written’ or ‘typed’, it can’t be a recording of a person talking for example. 
• Your will, once written, must be signed by yourself in front of two witnesses and both witnesses must sign the same copy of the will. 
• Both of the witnesses must be over 18 years old and you cannot leave them or their legal spouses anything in your will. 

There are a number of items that can make a will more complicated and we would advise seeking advice from the experts at Beyond if any of the following instances apply to you: 

• You share a property with a partner that you are not married to or in a civil partnership with,
• If you want to leave something in your will to someone who can’t care for themselves,
• You live outside the UK or own a property overseas, 
• You have your own business,
• If you have living former spouses or children from multiple partners who might contest the will.

Preparing to write a will 

• Make a list of everything you own and what you will need to distribute. These things should include property, savings, pensions, insurance schemes, stocks, vehicles and possessions. 
• Make a list of any debts you have. 
• Decide on who would be your legal guardians for any children you have under the age of 18. 
• Explain which items or amounts of money you would like to give to specific people or organisations. 
• After your debts have been paid and specific items given to specific people, anything left is called your residuary estate. Explain how you would like to distribute this. 
• If any of your named beneficiaries should die before you do, you should name who should inherit instead. 
• Name the executors of your will. These individuals need to be over 18 years old and will make sure your wishes in your will are carried out.

Our partnership with Beyond provides you with the opportunity to write your will online, for just £90. Find out more information here.

Please note: The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate Will Writing.