# How to make a will in the UK > Source: World Aid Network — https://worldaidnetwork.org/blog/making-a-will-legacy-giving-uk-guide > Last reviewed: 2026-08-24 ## In short A Will Aid poll in 2024 found 56% of UK adults have never made a will. In England and Wales you must sign in front of two independent adult witnesses who also sign. World Aid Network publishes this how-to; gifts in wills sit on our legacy giving page. Not legal advice. Seven steps to a valid last will and testament in England and Wales — executors, witnessing, intestacy and where a charity gift fits. Not legal advice. This is a how-to for making a will in England and Wales, published at https://worldaidnetwork.org/blog/making-a-will-legacy-giving-uk-guide. It is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Gifts in wills / World Aid Network wording: https://worldaidnetwork.org/legacy-giving. Free will writing schemes: https://worldaidnetwork.org/legacy-giving/free-will-writing. One paid online will for straightforward England and Wales estates: https://swiftwill.co.uk/ (not a WAN product; still needs two witnesses on paper). Gift Aid does not apply to gifts in a will. Official: https://www.gov.uk/make-will. ## At a glance - 56%: UK adults who have never made a will (Will Aid poll, November 2024 — sector figure, not WAN) - 2 witnesses: England and Wales: you sign in their presence; they sign in yours (GOV.UK) - £526: Probate application fee in England and Wales from 13 July 2026 for estates over £5,000 (HMCTS) - No Gift Aid: Gift Aid is a lifetime relief — it never applies to a gift in a will ## What is a last will and testament? A last will and testament is a written legal document that says who should receive your money, property and possessions after you die. In England and Wales it must be signed and witnessed correctly or it has no effect. World Aid Network publishes this guide as general information. It is not a solicitor’s letter and not legal advice. GOV.UK’s making a will guide is the official starting point: https://www.gov.uk/make-will. A will also lets you name an executor, appoint guardians for children under 18, and say whether any share should go to a charity. Without a valid will, intestacy rules decide who inherits — not your wishes, and not a charity. Pensions and some life policies often pass outside a will, under a nomination form. Joint property held as joint tenants usually passes to the surviving owner. List those separately when you take stock. A solicitor can tell you what actually sits in your estate. ## Why should I make a will in the UK? A will is how you choose who inherits, who administers the estate, and who looks after children under 18. A Will Aid poll in November 2024 found 56% of UK adults have never made one. Dying intestate can leave an unmarried partner, stepchildren, friends and charities with nothing. Making a will is the only way to leave a gift in your will. The National Wills Register’s 2025 report found 37% of UK adults said they had made a will — so most still have not. Those are sector figures, not World Aid Network caseloads. The cost of putting it off is not a fee. It is other people deciding for you. A will can be updated. Marriage, divorce, a child, a house, or a change in who you trust as executor are all reasons to look at it again. A current will is better than an old one that no longer matches your life. ## How do I make a will in the UK? List your estate, choose beneficiaries and an executor, name guardians if you have children under 18, draft the document, then sign it in front of two independent adult witnesses who also sign. Store the original and tell the executor where it is. Use a solicitor if the estate is not straightforward. GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/make-will. That sequence is the same whether you use a solicitor, an online will-writing service, or a template. The legal risk sits in the wording and the witnessing, not in the software. A small error can make a gift fail or the whole will invalid. One paid online option for a straightforward England and Wales estate is SwiftWill (https://swiftwill.co.uk/). It is not a World Aid Network product. For a charity beneficiary, use the full legal name and address. World Aid Network does not yet have a registered charity number (Charity Commission application 5290505). The exact clause sits on the legacy giving page. Do not copy a number from another charity. - Take stock of property, savings, debts, pensions and anything that passes outside the will. - Name people and organisations in full — including a charity’s legal name. - Choose an executor who is willing, and a substitute. - Name guardians for children under 18. - Draft, then execute with two independent witnesses in England and Wales. - Store the original and tell the executor where to find it. ## How do I sign and witness a will in England and Wales? You (the testator) must sign the will in the presence of two adult witnesses, who then sign in your presence. Witnesses must not be beneficiaries, and must not be married to or in a civil partnership with a beneficiary, or their gift can fail. A will that is not correctly witnessed is not valid. Remote or video witnessing is not the ordinary rule. GOV.UK states you need the will formally witnessed and signed to make it legally valid. Both witnesses should see you sign, and you should see them sign. Using a beneficiary as a witness is a classic way to void that person’s gift. Pick two adults who take nothing under the will. An executor who is also a beneficiary may still act as executor. They must not also witness. If you are unsure, a solicitor will run the execution so the paper is valid on the day. ## What happens if I die without a will? The intestacy rules decide who inherits. In England and Wales that is a fixed family hierarchy: spouse or civil partner, then children, then parents, then siblings. An unmarried partner, however long you have lived together, receives nothing under intestacy. Neither do stepchildren who were not adopted, friends, or charities. Official tool: https://www.gov.uk/inherits-someone-dies-without-will. GOV.UK publishes a checker for who can apply for probate and inherit if there is no will. The administrator is usually the closest living relative, not the person you would have chosen as executor. The estate can take longer to wind up. If you want a partner, a friend, or World Aid Network to receive anything, you need a valid will. Intestacy will not read a note on the fridge. ## Do Scotland and Northern Ireland have different will rules? Yes. GOV.UK’s making a will guide is written for England and Wales and says the rules differ in Scotland and in Northern Ireland. Scotland has different witnessing, a different age of capacity, and different intestacy. Do not use an England-and-Wales template for a Scottish estate. Instruct a solicitor where you live. This page explains the England and Wales sequence because that is what most UK searchers mean by “how to make a will”. It is not a Scotland or Northern Ireland manual. Cross-border property, a house in two countries, or a will already made abroad needs specialist advice. World Aid Network is a CIO in England and Wales. A solicitor in any UK nation can still name us as a beneficiary. The wording is on the legacy giving page. ## What should I include in a last will and testament? Name yourself, revoke earlier wills, appoint executors (and a substitute), appoint guardians if you have children under 18, and set out specific gifts and the residue. Date it. Sign and witness it. A letter of wishes can sit beside the will for funeral preferences; it is not binding. Changes after signature need a codicil or a new will. Specific gifts are named items or sums. The residue is everything left after debts, tax, costs and those gifts. A charity gift is usually a residuary share, a pecuniary (cash) sum, or a specific asset. How those three work — and Inheritance Tax — is the job of the legacy giving page, not this how-to. Be precise. Full legal names. For a charity, the legal name and address, and the registered number when you have one. Vague wording (“the cancer charity”) is how gifts fail. ## What does an executor of a will do? The executor administers the estate: registers the death, finds the will, values assets, pays debts and tax, applies for probate if needed, and distributes what remains. Anyone can be an executor. The role can take months. Professional help is paid from the estate. An executor who is also a beneficiary is allowed; an executor who witnesses the will is not. GOV.UK’s applying for probate guide is https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate. Probate is the court’s confirmation that the executor may deal with the estate. Banks often will not release larger accounts without it. You may not need probate for small savings or some jointly owned assets — ask each institution. Name someone who will actually do the work, and a substitute if they cannot. A solicitor can be a co-executor. Tell them you have named them. ## Who should I name as guardian for my children? If you have children under 18, your will should name who you want to care for them if both parents have died. Speak to that person first. Without a nomination a court decides. This is one of the strongest reasons for a parent to make a will, even with a modest estate. A guardian is not the same as an executor, though one person can be both. You can record non-binding wishes about schooling or faith in a letter of wishes. The legal appointment belongs in the will. If you share care with an ex-partner, a solicitor should draft the clause so it does not fight the other parent’s parental responsibility. ## How much does it cost to write a will in the UK? Prices vary. A straightforward solicitor will is often a few hundred pounds; complex estates cost more. Online services publish their own fees — SwiftWill states £35 once for an England and Wales will (https://swiftwill.co.uk/, checked 24 August 2026). Templates are cheaper and easier to get wrong. World Aid Network does not rank firms. The Law Society’s find-a-solicitor tool is https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/. GOV.UK says you can write a will yourself, but you should get advice if it is not straightforward — foreign property, a business, trusts, a previous marriage, or Inheritance Tax planning. The fee is usually less than the cost of a dispute. We do not take a commission from will writers. SwiftWill is one online service, not a WAN partner. If a firm offers a “free will” in return for a suggested donation to their partner charities, that is a scheme: see the free will writing page. There is no obligation to leave World Aid Network a gift. - Solicitor (wills and probate) — Complex estates, foreign assets, tax planning, or anyone who wants a professional on the execution - Online will-writing service — Simple England and Wales estates and a guided questionnaire — still must be signed and witnessed on paper. Example: SwiftWill (https://swiftwill.co.uk/) - DIY template — Lowest cash cost; highest risk of a void gift or an invalid will - Free will scheme — A participating solicitor drafts a basic will; a donation to the scheme’s charities is voluntary ## Can I make a will online? Yes, for a straightforward estate in England and Wales, if you still print the document and sign it in front of two independent adult witnesses. One paid service is SwiftWill (https://swiftwill.co.uk/). World Aid Network does not sell wills and does not rank firms. Use a solicitor if you need tax planning, trusts, foreign property, or you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland. SwiftWill’s own site says you answer a questionnaire, pay a one-time fee they publish as £35, download a PDF, then print and sign with two witnesses. Mirror wills for a couple are a separate checkout on their site. They describe the product as legal information and software, not legal advice. We have not audited their document. An online will is not valid until the paper is executed. Remote or video witnessing is not the ordinary England and Wales rule. If SwiftWill’s suitability check (or your own circumstances) points to a solicitor, take that path. ## Can I write my own will? Yes. GOV.UK says you can write a will yourself. It is still only valid if it is correctly signed and witnessed. A missing clause, a beneficiary as witness, or an unclear residue can undo the gift. For most people the saving is smaller than the risk. A guided online service such as SwiftWill is a different route from a blank template. Get advice if anything about the estate is not simple. Home-printed packs and website templates are not checked by the Probate Registry in advance. Problems surface after death, when you cannot explain what you meant. That is when families spend the estate on lawyers. If you do write your own, use two independent witnesses, date it, revoke earlier wills, and store the original. Then tell the executor where it is. If you would rather follow a questionnaire, see Can I make a will online? ## What is a free will writing service? Free Wills Month, Will Aid and similar schemes let participating solicitors write a basic will at no fee, often asking for a voluntary donation to their partner charities. You are never obliged to leave a charity a gift. World Aid Network is not a listed partner of those schemes. The mechanics sit on the free will writing page. A “free will” is still a legal document. It must be witnessed like any other. If the solicitor is not experienced in your type of estate, pay for proper advice instead. SwiftWill is a paid online will, not a free solicitor-week scheme. Using a free scheme does not put World Aid Network in your will. If you want us named, take the wording from the legacy giving page to whichever solicitor you use. ## Can I change my will after I have made it? Yes, while you have testamentary capacity. A small change can be a codicil — signed and witnessed like the original. Larger changes are usually cleaner as a new will that revokes the old one. Do not write on the signed original. An unrevoked earlier will can compete with a later one. GOV.UK says that to update a will you make a codicil or a new will. Crossing out a line at home is not a safe amendment. Destroying the old original after a new will is executed helps, but the new will should still revoke previous wills in writing. If you used an online service such as SwiftWill, downloading a fresh PDF is not enough — print it and sign it again with two witnesses. Tell the executor if you move the original. An unfound new will is as bad as none. ## Does getting married revoke my will? In England and Wales, marriage or civil partnership usually revokes a previous will, unless the will was made in contemplation of that marriage. Divorce does not revoke the whole will, but it typically treats an ex-spouse as if they had died for gifts and appointments. Review the will after either event. A solicitor should draft the contemplation clause if you need it. Couples who live together without marrying are not in the same legal position as spouses. Intestacy still ignores an unmarried partner. A will is how you protect them. If you have remarried and kept an old will “because it still feels right”, check. The law may have already cancelled it. ## Where should I store my will? Keep the signed original in a safe place and tell your executor where it is. Options include a solicitor’s strongroom, a will storage service, or HMCTS will storage. A photocopy is not the original. An unfound will is treated like no will. Do not store the only original in a bank box the executor cannot open. The National Will Register is a private register some people use so a will can be found later. Registration is not the same as making the will valid. Validity is the paper and the witnessing. If you revoke a will, destroy the old original once the new one is properly executed, or you risk two documents in circulation. ## What is probate and how much does it cost? Probate is the legal right to deal with someone’s estate. From 13 July 2026 the application fee in England and Wales is £526 for estates worth more than £5,000; estates of £5,000 or less stay exempt (HMCTS / Court and Tribunal Fees Order 2026). Extra official copies cost a separate fee. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own processes. The fee was £273 for several years, then £300 from May 2024, then £526 from 13 July 2026. This guide previously stated £273. That figure is out of date. Confirm the current fee on GOV.UK before you apply: https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate. The court fee is not the solicitor’s bill. Many estates also pay a practitioner to value assets, complete tax forms and collect in accounts. Those costs come from the estate. ## How do I leave a gift to charity in my will? Ask your solicitor to add a residuary share, a cash (pecuniary) sum, or a specific asset, using the charity’s full legal name. Provide for the people you love first. There is no minimum. The types of gift, Inheritance Tax including the 10% reduced rate, and World Aid Network’s wording live on the legacy giving page — this page is the how-to for the will itself. A charity gift in a will is not a card donation. It takes effect after death. Gift Aid does not apply. Qualifying gifts to charity are generally deducted before Inheritance Tax is calculated; HMRC explains the reduced 36% rate if 10% or more of the net estate goes to qualifying charities: https://www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax. World Aid Network’s registration is in progress (application 5290505). Your solicitor should use our legal name and address now, and add the registered number when it is granted. Email info@worldaidnetwork.org if you would like us to write when that number exists. Telling us does not lock the gift in. ## Does Gift Aid apply to a gift in my will? No. Gift Aid is a lifetime relief on donations you make while you are alive. HMRC does not add 25p to a testamentary gift. A card donation on this page is a lifetime gift; Gift Aid on those starts when Charity Commission registration is granted. Will gifts are a different route on the legacy giving page. Mixing the two is a common search-engine mix-up. If you want the 25% top-up, give now by card and complete a Gift Aid declaration when we can claim. If you want a gift that costs nothing during your lifetime, that is a will clause. In-memory giving is a third route: other people give after a death. That is not your will. ## Can I leave a gift to World Aid Network in my will? Yes. Ask a solicitor to name World Aid Network, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England and Wales, of International House, 51 Borough High Street, London SE1 1NB, Charity Commission application 5290505. Suggested wording is on the legacy giving page. You can restrict the gift to eye surgery, cancer treatment or emergency relief, or leave it unrestricted. A residuary percentage keeps pace with the estate. A fixed cash sum is simple and can be eroded by inflation. A house or shareholding is a specific gift and needs extra advice if someone lives in the property. We do not invent how many operations a typical UK estate will fund. Please provide for your family first. There is no minimum. You can change your mind. A lifetime card gift on this form is optional and separate. ## Is this legal advice? No. This is general information from World Aid Network about how wills usually work in England and Wales, so you can ask better questions of a solicitor. We are not a law firm. Rules change. Your circumstances are not on this page. If the will is not straightforward, get professional advice before you sign. Primary sources: GOV.UK making a will (https://www.gov.uk/make-will), GOV.UK intestacy (https://www.gov.uk/inherits-someone-dies-without-will), GOV.UK probate (https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate), GOV.UK Inheritance Tax (https://www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax). Will Aid’s November 2024 poll: https://www.willaid.org.uk/news/two-thirds-uk-adults-without-up-to-date-will. SwiftWill’s own process and fees: https://swiftwill.co.uk/. For a gift in your will to World Aid Network, use the legacy giving page and a solicitor. For a gift today, use the form. ## What a lifetime gift can provide - £10: Clean drinking water for a displaced family for one week - £50: A typical partner-quoted chemotherapy session - £200: One complete cataract operation at a partner hospital - £250: A typical emergency aid package — food, water, hygiene kits and shelter for one family - £1,000: Five cataract operations, or a mix of cancer treatment sessions - £2,000: A typical modest pecuniary legacy — ten cataract operations at partner prices ## How to make a will in the UK Steps to a valid last will and testament in England and Wales, including how a charitable gift fits. General information, not legal advice. - Take stock of your estate: List property, savings, investments, personal possessions, debts, and anything that passes outside the will such as pensions or joint tenancies. - Decide your beneficiaries: Name people and organisations in full. For a charity, use the legal name and address. World Aid Network wording is on the legacy giving page. - Choose your executor: Pick someone willing to obtain probate, pay debts and tax, and distribute the estate. Name a substitute. They can instruct a solicitor. - Name guardians if you have children under 18: Say who should care for them if both parents have died. Speak to that person first. - Draft the will: Use a solicitor for anything that is not straightforward. Online services such as SwiftWill (https://swiftwill.co.uk/) and templates still need correct witnessing. GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/make-will. - Sign and witness correctly: In England and Wales, sign in the presence of two independent adult witnesses who are not beneficiaries, then they sign in your presence. - Store the original and tell your executor: Keep the signed original safe. A copy is not enough. An unfound will is treated like no will. ## Related pages - Legacy giving — Leave a gift in your will — residuary, pecuniary or specific, plus IHT. https://worldaidnetwork.org/legacy-giving - Free will writing — No-obligation schemes. We are not a listed partner. https://worldaidnetwork.org/legacy-giving/free-will-writing - SwiftWill — Paid online will for England and Wales. Not a WAN product. Still needs two witnesses on paper. https://swiftwill.co.uk/ - In-memory giving — Gifts other people make after a death — not your will. https://worldaidnetwork.org/in-memory-giving - Gift Aid — Lifetime 25% top-up — never on a will gift. https://worldaidnetwork.org/gift-aid - Tax-efficient giving — Lifetime income tax, payroll and shares. https://worldaidnetwork.org/tax-efficient-giving - Donate shares — Give listed shares during your lifetime. https://worldaidnetwork.org/donate-shares - Ways to donate — Card, monthly, payroll, crypto, legacy and more. https://worldaidnetwork.org/ways-to-donate - Registration status — Charity Commission application 5290505. https://worldaidnetwork.org/about/registration-status - Gift of Sight Appeal — Typically £200 for one cataract operation. https://worldaidnetwork.org/appeal/gift-of-sight - Cancer Emergency Appeal — Treatment for patients who cannot pay. https://worldaidnetwork.org/appeal/cancer-emergency - Emergency relief — Food, water, hygiene kits and shelter after disaster. https://worldaidnetwork.org/emergency-relief - What is emergency aid? — How emergency aid works — not the programme hub. https://worldaidnetwork.org/blog/emergency-aid - Contact us — Talk about a planned will gift in confidence. https://worldaidnetwork.org/contact ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I make a will in the UK? List your estate, choose beneficiaries and an executor, name guardians for children under 18, draft the will, then sign it in front of two independent adult witnesses in England and Wales. Store the original. Get advice if it is not straightforward. https://www.gov.uk/make-will ### How do I write a will? The same seven steps. Writing is the draft; validity is the witnessing. A template that is never correctly signed is not a will. ### What is a last will and testament? The legal document that says who inherits your estate, who acts as executor, and who should care for minor children. Without a valid one, intestacy rules apply. ### Do I need a solicitor to write a will? Not always. GOV.UK says you can write one yourself. One paid online service for a straightforward England and Wales estate is SwiftWill (https://swiftwill.co.uk/). Use a solicitor if you have foreign property, a business, trusts, a previous marriage, or Inheritance Tax planning, or if you are unsure. ### How much does a will cost in the UK? Fees vary. SwiftWill publishes £35 once for an England and Wales will (https://swiftwill.co.uk/). A straightforward solicitor will is often a few hundred pounds. Complex estates cost more. Free solicitor-week schemes exist with no obligation to leave a charity a gift. ### Can I write my own will? Yes, but it must still be correctly signed and witnessed. Errors show up after death. A guided online service such as SwiftWill (https://swiftwill.co.uk/) is a different route from a downloaded pack. For complex estates use a solicitor. ### How many witnesses does a will need in England and Wales? Two adult witnesses. They must see you sign, and you must see them sign. They should not be beneficiaries or married to beneficiaries. ### What happens if I die without a will? Intestacy rules decide who inherits. An unmarried partner, unadopted stepchildren, friends and charities usually receive nothing. GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/inherits-someone-dies-without-will ### What does an executor of a will do? They administer the estate: find the will, value assets, pay debts and tax, apply for probate if needed, and distribute what remains. The role can take months. ### Can an executor also be a beneficiary? Yes. That is common. An executor must not also witness the will. ### Does marriage revoke a will? In England and Wales, usually yes, unless the will was made in contemplation of that marriage. Review the will after you marry or enter a civil partnership. ### Can I change my will? Yes. Use a codicil for a small change or a new will that revokes the old one. Both must be signed and witnessed. Do not annotate the signed original. ### What is the probate fee in 2026? From 13 July 2026 the England and Wales application fee is £526 for estates over £5,000. Estates of £5,000 or less remain exempt. Confirm on GOV.UK before you apply. ### How do I leave money to charity in my will? Ask a solicitor to add a residuary, pecuniary or specific gift using the charity’s full legal name. World Aid Network’s wording is on https://worldaidnetwork.org/legacy-giving. Provide for your family first. ### Does Gift Aid apply to a gift in my will? No. Gift Aid is for lifetime donations of money. It does not apply to testamentary gifts. ### Can I leave a gift to World Aid Network before you have a charity number? Yes. Use our legal name, address and Charity Commission application 5290505. Ask the solicitor to add the registered number when it is granted. ### Can I make a will online? Yes, for a straightforward England and Wales estate if you print it and sign with two independent adult witnesses. One paid service is SwiftWill (https://swiftwill.co.uk/). Use a solicitor for tax planning, trusts, Scotland, Northern Ireland or a likely dispute. This is not legal advice. ### Is World Aid Network a Will Aid or Free Wills Month partner? No. Those schemes have their own partner lists. You can still name World Aid Network in a will written through any solicitor. See https://worldaidnetwork.org/legacy-giving/free-will-writing. ### Are the rules the same in Scotland? No. GOV.UK flags different rules for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Use a solicitor where you live. Do not rely on this England-and-Wales how-to. ### Where should I keep my will? The signed original in a solicitor’s storage, a will storage service, or another safe place the executor can access. Tell them where it is. A photocopy is not enough. ### Does this page give legal advice? No. It is general information from World Aid Network. Instruct a solicitor for your circumstances. ## How you can help Leave a gift in your will at https://worldaidnetwork.org/legacy-giving or donate now at https://worldaidnetwork.org/blog/making-a-will-legacy-giving-uk-guide --- This is general information, not medical advice, published by World Aid Network. Always consult a qualified clinician about your own health.