The cost of writing a will online is £90 for a single will or £140 for couples. We take payment upfront. We do this to help you get it done as once you’ve paid you’re more likely to finish it.

When you enter your instructions into our online form, the will is then ‘drafted’ by solicitors and posted out. It is not an online will printed by you, but a will drafted by solicitors that is online.

If you’re in a relationship of any kind, mostly people choose to leave the bulk of the estate to a partner, but this is really up to you. Shared property, a mortgage or kids are usually the reasons why you might choose to give to your partner. If you’re a single parent you may wish to share your estate between your kids. If they’re under 18 when you die the inheritance will usually be held by the executors until your child is 18 (or older if you want this). Your executors can choose to transfer the gift to the child’s other parent or a guardian for safekeeping, or to use it for the child’s benefit before they reach 18, but the more you put into your will the easier this will be.

An executor is somebody you nominate to carry out the wishes left in a will. People often choose a trusted friend or family member. You can choose a professional but make sure they’re aware of the task, as they need to feel comfortable and confident administering your estate - and it is a reasonable amount of work.

The inheritance tax allowance currently stands at £325,000. (Sometimes this is called a also nil rate band) If your estate is worth more than this - which if you own a property is reasonably likely, you will usually have to pay 40% on everything over the £325,000 figure. If you're married or in a civil partnership and your partner is permanently living in the UK and registered for tax here, anything you leave to your partner will be tax free, regardless of the size of your estate. Your partner would also inherit 100% of your £325,000 tax allowance, giving them a total allowance of £650,000. Your partner could then leave behind an estate up to the value of £650,000 without having to pay any inheritance tax.

To make your will legally binding you need to make sure it’s signed alongside two witnesses who are present and both watch you do it. Once they’ve watched you, they need to add their own signatures, full names and addresses. If your will is ever contested in the future, your witnesses can testify that they watched you sign your will.

Arm yourself with several pens and a good deal of hand sanitiser and meet your witnesses outdoors. But if all else fails the government has changed the law during the pandemic and you can witness via video conference. The Wills Act 1987) was amended from September 2020 so the ‘presence’ of those making and witnessing wills includes a virtual presence (Zoom, Skype, Facetime) as an alternative. The legislation applies to Wills made from 31 January 2020, meaning it will have retrospective effect. It is planned that this will last until 31 January 2022 but could be shortened if things go back to normal.

Our online will writing service is ideal for relatively simple wills and should cover everything you need. But if your situation is more complex – for example, if you require specific advice we can connect you with trusted solicitors for more bespoke support.

If you need to amend your will please contact us to arrange. Depending on the amount of change required we can quote for this, but for comparison if you went to a high street solicitor for every change (called a codicil) it would likely cost around £70 each time. And remember: once you’ve printed and signed your new will alongside two witnesses, it’s important that you dispose of your old will to avoid confusion for your executors.