Do I need a Solicitor to make a Will?

It is possible to write your own Will without the assistance of a solicitor, and some people choose this option to save on legal costs. However, this approach is not without risk, and there are many advantages to seeking professional legal advice when preparing a Will.

This article was written by Amy Tapping in 2022 and updated by Rian Shah in August 2026, with supervision from Samantha Webb.

DIY Wills: An Overview

The use of DIY Wills continues to grow in the UK. According to the National Wills Report 2025, 14% of people who have made a Will used a DIY Will kit rather than seeking professional advice.

At the same time, inheritance disputes are becoming increasingly common. DNA Legal reported that a record 1,217 disputed probate cases were filed at the High Court in England and Wales during 2025, the highest annual figure on record. Many more would have settled before they reached court. While disputes can arise for many reasons, poorly drafted, unclear or invalid Wills can contribute significantly to disagreements between family members after a death.

The growing popularity of artificial intelligence presents further challenges. Research has shown that 72% of adults aged 30 to 34 would consider using AI to help write or update their Will, despite concerns surrounding the accuracy of AI-generated legal documents. Whilst technology can be useful for gathering information, it cannot replace personal legal advice tailored to an individual's circumstances.

Contact Us

A professionally drafted Will provides peace of mind that your wishes have been properly recorded. It also ensures that your Will complies with legal requirements, and that potential problems have been identified before they affect your loved ones. At Crane & Staples, we understand that discussing your Will can be a sensitive subject. Our friendly and experienced Private Client team is here to guide you through the process, providing clear advice and practical support every step of the way. To find out how we can help, please contact us on 01707 329 333 or email wills@crane-staples.co.uk.

Please note that we can only provide tailored legal advice once you have formally instructed us and arranged an appointment to discuss your individual circumstances. We are unable to answer general questions or provide guidance outside of a formal consultation. Our support team cannot offer legal advice via phone, email, or online chat. Please call us on 01707 329333 or email law@crane-staples.co.uk to book an appointment with a solicitor. Appointments can be held at our office, via Microsoft Teams, or through a local home visit where appropriate. Thank you for your understanding.

What is a Will?

A Will is a legal document which lays out someone’s wishes and determines how their assets (including property, finances and possessions) are to be distributed after their death.

Even if you do not have significant assets, we still recommend that you have an up-to-date Will in place.

Why is it best to use a Solicitor to make a Will?

It is important that you use a Solicitor to make a Will to ensure that your wishes are legally carried out as you intend after you die. A Solicitor can advise you on inheritance tax options, and, most importantly, make sure that there are no pitfalls or errors in your Will that could cause additional distress to your loved ones after you die.

“ It is generally advisable to use a solicitor or to have a solicitor check a will you have drawn up to make sure it will have the effect you want.” – Citizens Advice

Examples of why it is best to use a Solicitor to make a Will include:

• There are many ways in which the inheritance tax payable can be reduced for your estate. A Solicitor can outline these options to you. You can find out more about inheritance tax here.
• If you were to marry after a Will has been made, the Will is automatically revoked and would require you to make a new one. However, a Solicitor can assist you in drafting your Will in contemplation of marriage. This ensures that your Will still takes effect in accordance with your wishes.
• If you were to divorce after a Will has been made, the Will treats your former spouse or civil partner as having died on that date. Therefore, any gift in their favour will be ineffective unless the contrary is expressed in your Will.
• It is also important that an express revocation clause is incorporated. This ensures that any earlier Will made is revoked and your wishes are adhered to in accordance with your later Will. If this is not included, the later Will only revokes the wishes which are inconsistent with your earlier Will.
• Provisions in your Will can be overturned if dependents are not accounted for in your Will. It is important to be aware of this.
• Any alterations must be made correctly otherwise the original gift will remain valid.
• There are risks associated with beneficiaries pre-deceasing yourself if a substitution clause is not incorporated.
• Ensuring that particular wording is used to prevent any disputes over the meaning of words or one’s intentions.

Can I make a Will without a Solicitor?

While it is possible to write a legally valid DIY Will without a Solicitor, legal validity and good drafting are not the same thing.

Many homemade Wills fail because:

• Important legal issues have not been considered
• The wording is unclear
• Assets are incorrectly described
• Tax planning opportunities are missed
• Beneficiaries are not adequately identified
• The Will does not fully deal with the entire estate

Mistakes may not come to light until after death, when they can be expensive and difficult to resolve.

This article in The Guardian outlines some real-life examples of people who made their own Wills without the assistance of a solicitor and describes the unwanted consequences and pitfalls that their families faced.

AI and Will Writing

The ever-increasing prominence of Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to draft legal documents, including Wills.

Research suggests that almost half of people would trust AI to help write their Will, while 72% of adults aged 30 to 34 would consider using AI to update one.

Whilst AI may be capable of producing a document that resembles a Will, there are significant risks involved.

Can AI write a Will?

AI may be able to generate a draft document based on information provided by the user. However, it cannot properly assess an individual’s personal circumstances in the way an experienced solicitor can.

AI can struggle to understand the intricacies that are needed to make Wills effective and tailored to an individual’s situation. Every family situation is different. Factors such as second marriages, blended families, vulnerable beneficiaries, business interests, inheritance tax issues and trusts often require bespoke advice.

At Crane & Staples, we pride ourselves on providing tailored advice. Our Team will ensure that they have met with you, whether online or in person, to be able to ask the right questions and ensure that your Will is steadfast in distributing your Estate once that time comes.

What are the risks of using AI to write a Will?

There are a number of risks associated with the use of AI to write a Will.

Potential risks include:

• Failure to deal with all assets
• Inadequate inheritance tax planning
• Poorly drafted trust provisions
• Ambiguous wording
• Incorrect legal information
• Failure to account for changing circumstances
• Increased risk of future disputes

An error in a Will can have serious consequences for those left behind.

The Courts in England and Wales have repeatedly issued warnings about the use of AI in legal work given its ability to falsify case-law. This highlights the dangers that could come about should AI be used in a Will.

Safe ways to use AI in Estate Planning

Whilst the use of AI in writing Wills can be dangerous and lead to undesirable outcomes, there may be ways that AI can be used safely as a starting point to assist with estate planning.

For example, AI could be used to help you create a list of assets or other information that may be useful for a Solicitor when writing your Will.

However, any legal document generated by AI should be reviewed by a qualified solicitor before it is relied upon.

AI could also assist in finding accredited local Solicitors who can professionally draft your Will. The chat bots may ask you questions to help find the best Wills solicitor for you.

Can I make a Will online in the UK?

You can make a Will online in the UK. However, you will not receive the specialist advice that you would receive by meeting with a Solicitor.

Online Wills may ask some simple questions and a Will is drafted based on your answers. This carries many of the possible risks and mistakes mentioned above.

If it is your preference to make a Will from home or online, we can offer you a safer way of doing so. We can conduct online video calls with you and advise you on how to ensure the Will is made correctly. Although we always like to meet in person, we understand that this is not always possible. So, if you would like to make a Will online with us, we can help you. Following our video calls, we can also advise you how to ensure your Will is correctly signed and witnessed. This may be helpful if you are unable to attend our offices to sign in our presence.

Requirements for a valid Will:

To be legally valid in England and Wales, a Will generally must:

• Be in writing (the Will must exist as a physical document, preferably typed, but a Will can also be handwritten)
• Be signed by the testator (where the testator has the full capacity to understand what they are signing and the associated implications)
• Be signed in the presence of two independent adult witnesses who do not benefit from the Will themselves.

However, these requirements are just the ‘tip of the iceberg’. Despite fulfilling the above basic requirements, partial intestacy and failures of gifts can still occur. This is why we would always recommend using a Solicitor instead of attempting a DIY Will.

Common DIY Will Mistakes

• “I leave my gold necklace to my daughter”. On the face it, there may seem to be nothing wrong with this. However, what if the testator has more than one gold necklace and more than one daughter? One gold necklace could be more valuable than the other and the daughters have a bad relationship. How will you know which daughter is inheriting and which necklace the testator was referring to?
• Referring to “my children” in your Will. Be careful if you have step-children who you have treated as your own. Do you mean your biological children or also your step-children?
• “I leave my car to my son.” Cars are depreciating assets and are often replaced. Unless specified, “the car” which the testator is referring to will mean the car he owns when writing the Will, not the one he owns at the time of his death. What if the testator owns two cars? What if the testator sells his car? Have you allowed for a replacement monetary gift, for example?

Therefore, it is highly unadvisable to write a Will at home or use a DIY Will writing service due to the numerous risks associated with doing so.

How much does it cost to make a Will with a solicitor?

As with all professional services, the cost of making a Will with a solicitor varies. At Crane & Staples, we are proud of our quality work and providing a premium service at a highly competitive price.

• The cost of a Single Will at Crane & Staples starts from £400.00 plus VAT, depending on complexity.
• The cost of Joint Mirror Wills (Wills designed for couples) starts from £550.00 plus VAT, depending on complexity.

If your Will does have more complex requirements, we will provide you with a tailored fee estimate in respect of your solicitor’s hourly rate. Our team’s hourly rates range from £175 – £310 plus VAT. We will always keep you updated in respect of costs.

We offer a bespoke service specifically tailored to your needs and will provide you with a professional, friendly, and personal service.

You can read more about our costs here.

Do Solicitors charge to keep Wills?

If you would like us to safely store your signed original Will in our fireproof cabinets, then we will happily do so. There is a nominal one-off storage charge for this service of £10 plus VAT per Will. However, this is waived if the Partners of this firm are appointed as your Executors.

We always provide all our clients with a made-up copy of the Will for them to keep at home. This is regardless of what they may choose to do with the original document.

Do you have to register a Will in the UK?

Whilst there is currently no legal requirement to register a Will in the UK, we highly recommend that your Will is registered with Certainty, the National Will Register. This is a national database of Wills. This ensures that your Will can be instantly found. For example, if it is ever lost, misplaced or forgotten over the passage of time. We now register our clients’ Wills as a matter of course and this is included within our fee estimate.

Your Local Wills Solicitors

Crane & Staples has been advising individuals and families across Hertfordshire for more than 85 years. We are specialists in Wills, Trusts and Probate matters.

We are ranked for personal tax, trusts and probate in the Legal 500. Additionally, we are ranked for Private Wealth Law in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide. These prestigious legal directories profile the best solicitors  in each region of the UK. We are very proud to be included.

We are also ranked number 1 for Wills, Trusts and probate in Welwyn Hatfield, on the Review Solicitors website. You can read all our reviews here.

These accolades position us as one of the best Solicitors for Wills in Hertfordshire.

As Solicitors, it is our duty to advise all clients and potential clients on the importance of having a Will. We can advise you on the reasons why you should instruct a Solicitor to prepare your Will. We can also advise on the potential adverse consequences of DIY Wills.

Get in Touch

A Will is one of the most important legal documents you will ever make. Whilst DIY and AI-generated Wills may appear attractive because of their convenience or lower upfront cost, mistakes can have lasting consequences for the people you leave behind.

If you would like advice about making or updating a Will, our friendly Private Client team would be pleased to assist.

📞 01707 329 333
📧 wills@crane-staples.co.uk

We look forward to hearing from you.