Guides Writing your will

What happens after you’ve written a will?

Our online will writing service makes it quick and easy to write a will from the comfort of your own home. Here, we'll cover what happens next to make your will legally binding, plus some tips on storing it safely at home.

We created our online will writing service to make writing a will quick, simple, accessible and fairly priced. And one of the key parts of this is allowing people to sign up and draft their will before paying a penny.

At home or at work, on your phone, tablet or computer, you can sign up in seconds and start writing a will for free. And because our solicitor-approved guide breaks everything down into a series of simple steps, most people finish writing a will with us in around 15 minutes.

Then, if you're happy with your will, you can pay to have it checked and approved by our specialists. This is just £100 for a single will or £160 for couples wills.

Here, we'll go through why it's so important to have your will checked, and the steps you need to take afterwards to make it legally binding.

Getting your will checked by a specialist

After you've written a will and paid for it, we'll check it carefully within 5 working days. This is to make sure your wishes are clear and easy to understand and helps to minimise the chance of your will being contested after you die.

Around two-thirds of our wills pass the first time but, if we feel that something can be clarified, we’ll send you a recommendation by email. These are usually only simple changes, but they can really help to make sure your wishes are understood and followed in the future. Once you’ve considered our recommendations and made any changes you want to make, we'll check your will again to give it the final seal of approval, then we'll send you a link to download your will. Occasionally, we may suggest writing a letter of wishes to accompany your will.

"Super simple, clear steps, easy to understand, excellent customer service. The checking service helped identify some key issues that I hadn't thought about. Highly recommend!" Liz S, Trustpilot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Printing and signing your will at home

One of the great benefits of using our online will writing service is that you don't have to go and see a solicitor. Instead, you can simply print your will at work – or from the comfort and privacy of your own home. And if you don't have access to a printer, you can order a printed copy from Farewill.

After downloading and printing out your will, you need to sign it alongside two witnesses. This is an essential step to make your will legally binding as the law requires your will to be a physical, signed document.

The key rules regarding witnesses are that they have to be over 18 and they can't be beneficiaries of your will (nor can they be the spouse of one of your beneficiaries). For many people, work colleagues, friends or neighbours are good, easy options.

"It was very easy to put a will together using this website. Knowing that I have a legal document setting out my wishes is a great peace of mind." Tim, Trustpilot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Storing your will safely

After printing and signing your will, you need to keep it somewhere safe. It's also important that you tell your executors where it is so they can easily find it when you're gone.

Most people choose to keep their will alongside other important documents, such as:

In a filing cabinet
In a drawer
In a safe

The most important thing is that your will is well-marked and easy to find. So if you do choose to keep it locked in a safe or filing cabinet, make sure it can be accessed by your executors. This is why you should never store your will in a safety deposit box at the bank. Your executors will need probate to access it, but they can’t get probate unless they have the will.

"I've been wanting to do this for years and now it's done and out away safely." Kim, Trustpilot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Should I write a letter to keep with my will?

When creating your will with Farewill, you can leave personal messages alongside gifts of specific items or money. You can explain what you’re leaving, why you’re leaving it and what you want the recipient to do with it. Often, these messages are just as important as the gifts themselves.

But, sometimes, it's the bigger picture that's important for others to understand. Particularly if you've had to balance responsibilities you might have, or obligations you feel you should fulfil, to different people.

By making a will you're taking the most important step to ensuring your wishes are followed. But if you think anyone might be disappointed by your choices, you may also want to write a letter of wishes to keep with your will. This should say, in your own words, why you think this will is the best thing to do by the people and/or causes that are important to you.

Here are some tips on writing a letter to keep with your will:

It’s up to you whether you hand write or type it.
It's usually best to address it to your executors, as they'll be the people responsible for carrying out your wishes.
It should sound like you, so it's important that the letter is in your words.
Finally, it should be signed and dated by you. Do not get this signed and witnessed, otherwise it might get confused for your actual, witnessed, will.

Find out more about how to write a letter of wishes.

Article reviewed 23 August 2021