Frequently Asked Questions

Wills need to be written in very specific legal language to be valid. It is therefore advisable to seek professional help when writing a Will. You can use our quick and easy Will writing tool to create a single or mirror Will. Or if your situation is more complex we suggest you find a local solicitor to advise you. You can find a solicitor or legal adviser with this gov.uk tool.

You’ll need to know who you will want to inherit your belongings, all details of your current assets, who you will want to appoint as executor and if you have children you should know who you want to appoint as their guardians. Read our guide to Wills to find out about what the contents of a Will are.

 

If you die without a Will (this is called intestacy) your estate will be automatically distributed according to national rules of intestacy. If you are married or in a civil partnership your partner will inherit a large amount of your estate and the rest will often be distributed amongst your children, grandchildren or great grandchildren.

However if you are unmarried and do not have any living relatives then your estate will pass to the Crown.

It is important to have a Will, as without one your estate might pass to the Crown. If you are not married to, or in a civil partnership, your partner will inherit nothing, as you cannot inherit from each other unless stated in a Will.

It is also important if you have children, so that you can plan how they will be cared for if either one or both parents die.

In addition to this, you can also reduce the amount of tax payable on the inheritance if a Will has been made.

Quick overview of what should be included in a Will:

• Testator details

• Executor details

• Details about your assets

• Beneficiary details

• How your estate should be distributed

• Funeral arrangements

• Guardian details

Read our guide to Wills to find out exactly what you will need to include.

If you have made a Will with Nine Minute Will we will send you a set of Will retrieval cards, which you can keep in your wallet and give to your relatives.

Unfortunately there is no national register of Wills so it is important that you inform your relatives about your Will.

If you are a married couple, you can purchase a Mirror Will. This produces two Wills which mirror each other. This is appropriate for you if you wish to leave your estate to your spouse and then to alternate beneficiaries on surviving your spouse's death.

If your circumstances change, such as separating from your spouse, it is important that you have a Will, and keep it updated. You may find you want to reconsider the contents of your Will, to ensure it will carry out your wishes after death.

Ensure your whole Will is firmly stapled together in one corner, and no other documents are attached to it.

Until it has been signed and witnessed, your Will has no legal validity. To make your Will valid, you must sign and date it in the presence of two witnesses.

Make sure you understand the contents of your Will before asking anyone to witness or sign it.

You must inform your witnesses that they are witnessing the signing of your Will, and they must then sign in your presence and in the presence of each other. You should all see each other sign the document. Witnesses must include their names and addresses. This entire process is your responsibility.

There are some criteria for being a witnesses:

1. A witness must not be a beneficiary or spouses of a beneficiary of your Will.
2. Witnesses must be over 18 and of sound mind and vision – a blind person cannot witness a Will.
3. They should not be very old or hard to trace, in case question should arise later concerning the validity of your Will.

Please note the following important points:

• If a witness is a beneficiary of your Will, your Will will still be valid but the beneficiary will lose the benefit of his or her gift.
• If a witness later becomes a spouse of a beneficiary under your Will, your Will remains valid and the beneficiary will not lose the benefit of his or her gift.
• Amending your Will in any way is not recommended: Do not change your Will by adding or removing words or provisions. Do not cross out, delete, or otherwise erase any part of your Will once it has been completed.

It doesn't matter who writes your will as long as it is correctly worded. To be a legal document, a will needs to be witnessed by two competent people who are not beneficiaries or married to a beneficiary.

No solicitor is required.

Simply follow the guidance on the site, ensure the will has been properly signed and witnessed, and it becomes a legal document.

Nine Minute Will is suitable for the majority of British citizens who live in the UK. Our site adheres to the law of England and Wales and is therefore suitable for all property in these regions.

Due to legal restrictions and complexities, we would recommend contacting us directly to discuss your will if:

• You are not a British citizen or your permanent home is not in the UK
• You are a sole trader wishing to leave instructions regarding the continuation of your business
• You own property anywhere other than England or Wales
• You own a farm

The will that we create from your answers uses correctly formatted and worded legal content that Solicitors use throughout England & Wales.

Our process has been automated to increase convenience and reduce your costs.

After you sign the document in front of witnesses, your will becomes a legal document.

Yes we have a sample Will for you to view. You can also use our tool to create your Will online and you will be able to preview your Will before buying it.

You can contact us by telephone on 0800 043 2559, or via our online contact form.

1. Use our online tool to create your Will
   Follow our online step by step tool to create your own Will
2. Pay our small fee for your Will
   You will be able to check your details before you pay
3. We print your Will and send it to you to sign
   We send your Will in the post for you to sign, with detailed instructions on witnesses etc. You can then return the signed Will to us in the post for us to check it over and keep it in a safe location.