The thought of writing a will with a solicitor can often seem daunting for many people that have families, children and assets they want to protect, as they assume it involves a very time-consuming and expensive process, which is why it usually (and understandably) gets pushed to the back of peoples’ minds.
By having the ability to create your own legally-binding will online, at your own pace and for a much cheaper price, there is no rush and the act of writing a will no longer seems so intimidating.
At Wills.Services, this is something we can help with.
Why do I need a will?
A will is an important, legal document which makes sure that your estate is shared out between your family, children and loved ones exactly how you wish it to be.
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What is an estate?
When someone dies, the following assets are usually included in their estate (depending on the individual):
- Property
- Personal, sentimental possessions
- Businesses
- Cash savings
- Life insurance payouts
An estate may include other assets considered to be of financial or emotional value to the deceased individual.
Any estate that is worth more than the £325,000 threshold will be subject to 40% inheritance tax, which is another reason why people write a will, as you can set up a trust alongside it to ensure your family, children and loved ones don’t end up facing a large death tax bill when you pass away.
If you die without a legally valid will in place, this is known as dying intestate, meaning that your assets will be distributed according to the UK’s intestacy rules, which, in most cases, is not necessarily what people want.
At Wills.Services, our aim is to make the process of writing a will as simple and as easy as possible for you. We provide an affordable online will-writing service so that people can write a will from the comfort of their own home, without the hassle of having to visit lawyers and pay extortionate costs.
By writing your will at home today, you will have peace of mind for the rest of your life, knowing that your assets are protected as well as your partner, children, family and loved ones.
How to write a will from home with Wills.Services
You can start making your own will today by registering with us and creating your own account at no cost.
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be given two options; to begin a Will Application or an LPA Application for a Lasting Power of Attorney.
After you’ve chosen the service you require, you will then have to answer some basic questions about yourself (name, address, D.O.B. etc) to determine whether you need a simple will for a single person or a joint will for a married couple (otherwise known as a mirror will, which usually works out cheaper than getting two individual wills).
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How much does it cost to make a will?
With Wills.Services, it costs £29.99 to write a single will and £49.99 to write a mirror will, which is much cheaper than using a solicitor, which can cost anything between £144 and £240, according to the Money Advice Service.
See our price table below to compare prices offered by other companies that are providing exactly the same service.
You will then begin to write your will, so you will have to answer a range of questions and set specific requests according to your own personal wishes.
Here is some of the information you will need to give, so you have an idea before you start creating your homemade will:
- Your marriage history
- Whether or not you have previously made a will
- Your family (children and pets)
- Whether or not you want to add guardians to your will
- Who you want to share your estate between (such as your children, other family members or charities)
- The percentage of estate you want to allocate to each person or charity
- Whether or not you want to leave gifts
- What would happen in the event that a beneficiary of your will should die before you
- The assets you want to add to your will (property, business, bank account, jewellery, life insurance, savings account, etc)
- Whether or not you have assets in trusts
- Your current liabilities and debts that will affect your estate
- Whether or not inheritance tax is relevant to your estate (you will need to try and work out the total value of your estate beforehand)
- If you have made an LPA
- Your funeral preferences and how you plan to pay for it
Our online tool will continue to ask you further questions so that your will covers all bases and no stone is left unturned throughout the application.
One advantage to writing your will from home with Wills.Services is that you don’t have to complete the application in one sitting; if you need more time to create your online will, simply log out and sign back in later when you have the time to carry on with it.
When making your online will, you will get expert help and support from a legal professional (via email or phone) at Wills.Services, who will review your will to ensure that it is legally-binding. This extra service is included in the cost of making a will, so you don’t need to worry about additional fees.
Once you have completed the application, our experts at Wills.Services will assess it to see whether or not you need to have a more complex will. If we need to get in touch with you about this, we will let you know the reasons for doing so and we will inform you of the costs.
Using an online service like this is a much safer option than doing a DIY will, as you do not get the legal support with a DIY will kit. It is also much cheaper than using a solicitor.
How do I make sure my will is legally valid?
As well as having a legal professional to review your will for potential errors or complications to ensure it is legally valid, there are also some steps you need to take yourself to make sure your will does not become void when you pass away.
For your will to be legally-binding (meaning that your estate will be distributed exactly as stated in your will, without room for legal dispute), you need to sign the will document while two witnesses observe you doing this.
Your chosen witnesses must also each sign the will, but it is vital that they are not listed as beneficiaries or executors of your will. A witness does not have to be a professional person; you could choose your neighbour to be a witness, for example.
Coronavirus update
As the current social distancing and lockdown rules are still in place (correct at the time of writing: 29th May 2020), you may feel that this limits your ability to make a will.
However, there are plenty of ways in which you can successfully get your will signed so that it’s legally valid, while also abiding by the current measures.
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Read our article about the impact of Coronavirus on the will-writing industry for more information on how to get your will signed during the Covid-19 pandemic: The Coronavirus Outbreak Sparks a 76% Surge in Wills
Keeping your will updated
After you’ve made your will, you may experience other milestones later on in your life such as the birth of a new child, remarriage or step-children, for example. It is crucial that you update your will or write a new one if your life changes significantly.
If any major event happens in your life, you will need to update your will which you can do by logging back into your account with Wills.Services and requesting a new will (legally, any old wills remain completely void).
Price comparison: What is the cost of making a will?
Here is a list of fixed-fee prices to help you compare between companies that are offering exactly the same service:
Cost of Making a Will: Single |
Cost of Making a Will: Mirror |
|
| Wills.Services | £29.99 | £49.99 |
| Which? | £99.00 (£119.00 with expert legal review) | £156.00 (£189.00 with expert legal review) |
| Farewill | £90.00 | £140.00 |
| Co-op Legal Services | £125.00 | £204.17 |
As you can see, some companies may charge extra for the added legal support, which is essential when it comes to will writing. But thankfully with us at Wills.Services, you won’t be hit by any unexpected extra legal support costs.
It is worth noting that some reputable companies may charge you extra fees along the way, but Wills.Services remains completely transparent and will inform you of any changes so you know exactly where you stand.
To start your homemade will today, and to start protecting your family, children and assets, simply tap the button below!
For further help and advice, read our related, free guides.
