The Danger of DIY Wills

Earlier this year The Guardian reported on the danger of DIY Wills, citing the fear of the expense of making a Will with a solicitor as being a key motivator for the growing trend of DIY Wills. In this blog, we pick up on the key points and recommend a third way – our Wills online template, designed and checked by SRA registered solicitors …

Sharing the story of Eileen McCormack, who spent more than two years dealing with her cousin’s estate only to find that his DIY Will was invalid, this article makes a strong case against DIY Wills. Ultimately 16% of Eileen’s cousin’s £98,000 estate was used to pay for fees – a cost that could have been saved if only he’d ensured his Will was legal. Surely not what he’d intended?

The case includes common DIY Will problems, such as circumstances changing (e.g. you get married) and the DIY Will not accommodating the changes (e.g. your Will would be automatically revoked unless it stipulated ‘written in contemplation of marriage’).

It details too some common DIY Will mistakes, including:

• Failing to get a Will independently witnessed by two independent adults (neither of which are beneficiaries) at the same time
  
• Misspelled names
• Failure to sign the document properly

There is, of course, a middle path that removes all of these Will writing risks – Active Wills’ online template, designed in conjunction with an SRA Registered solicitor. Writing a pair of Mirror Wills using our online Will writing template costs just £149. Writing a Single Will costs £99 and for an extra £35 you can get your Mirror Wills or Single Will checked by one of our Will writing experts who will make suggestions to help you with general estate planning issues and areas of concern, if appropriate.

Next Steps?

Start a Single Will just £9.99 Start a Mirror Will just £19.99