Writing a will online or using a DIY template can seem like a sensible way to save money. With services advertising free or low-cost wills, the appeal is understandable. But what looks like a straightforward solution can create significant problems for the people you leave behind — and those problems often cost far more to resolve than the professional advice would have.
Fisher Jones Greenwood’s Wills, Life Planning and Probate team includes four members of the Association of Lifetime Lawyers: Gregory John, Clare Moreton, Gina Fairweather, and James Bird. Between them, they regularly see the consequences of poorly drafted DIY wills — family disputes, delays in estate administration, and outcomes that are the exact opposite of what the person intended.
A will cannot be corrected once someone has died. By the time mistakes come to light, it is almost always too late to fix them.
Invalid wills: a risk that’s easy to overlook
One of the most serious risks with DIY wills is that they may not be legally valid. Common errors that can invalidate a will include:
- using a beneficiary, or a beneficiary’s spouse, as a witness
- failing to sign the will correctly
- making handwritten amendments after the will has been signed
- relying on a template that does not meet the legal requirements for a valid will
If a will is found to be invalid, the estate passes under the rules of intestacy rather than according to the person’s wishes. For families involving unmarried partners, stepchildren, or estranged relatives, this can have serious and lasting consequences.
Ambiguous wording creates disputes
DIY wills often rely on vague or overly simplistic language. Phrases such as “my savings”, “my possessions”, or “divide everything equally” can mean different things to different people — and in practice, to different beneficiaries.
Does “savings” include investments? Joint accounts? Premium Bonds? When a will leaves questions like this unanswered, disagreements follow. In some cases, families spend thousands of pounds in legal disputes that could have been avoided through careful, professionally drafted wording.
Blended families and modern relationships
Modern family structures are increasingly varied, and many DIY will templates simply do not account for them. Second marriages, cohabiting couples, children from previous relationships, estranged family members, and vulnerable beneficiaries all require careful thought and precise drafting.
A straightforward “leave everything to my spouse” clause may unintentionally disinherit children from an earlier relationship or fail to protect assets for future generations. This is a more common outcome than most people realise.
Many cohabiting couples also assume that living together gives them the same inheritance rights as married couples or civil partners. It does not. Legal protections for unmarried partners are limited and can vary across different parts of the UK. Verbal promises and informal understandings rarely hold up once someone has died.
Templates cannot reflect your individual circumstances
Most DIY and online will services are designed to be generic. The difficulty is that very few estates are straightforward. Issues that are easily overlooked include:
- inheritance tax exposure
- business assets
- digital assets and online accounts
- property held abroad
- vulnerable beneficiaries
- unmarried partners
- trusts and asset protection
Property values, pension arrangements, and changing tax rules mean many people underestimate the complexity of their estate. A template will cannot ask the right questions — and what it misses can have significant financial and personal consequences.
The real cost of a “cheap” will
It is natural to compare the upfront cost of a DIY will with the fee for professional advice. But the more meaningful comparison is between spending a few hundred pounds now or facing a far more costly probate dispute later.
The cost of resolving problems caused by a badly drafted will is almost always significantly greater than the cost of getting it right in the first place. And for many families, the financial cost is only part of the issue. Delays, uncertainty, and family conflict place real emotional strain on the people you care about most, at a time when they are already dealing with grief.
Property ownership, pensions, blended families, digital assets, and tax considerations all add layers that DIY solutions are not equipped to address. What appears to be a sensible saving today can become one of the most expensive decisions a family has to deal with later.
How our Lifetime Lawyers can help
Fisher Jones Greenwood has four members of the Association of Lifetime Lawyers within its Wills, Life Planning and Probate team: Gregory John, Clare Moreton, Gina Fairweather, and James Bird. The Association of Lifetime Lawyers is a specialist membership organisation for lawyers with advanced expertise in later life planning, and its members are required to meet rigorous standards of knowledge and client care.
Taking advice from a qualified solicitor means your will is legally sound, clearly drafted, and tailored to your actual circumstances — not a generic template. It also means any complexities in your estate, your family situation, or your wishes can be addressed properly, giving you and your family genuine reassurance.
Gina Fairweather is a Partner in our Wills, Life Planning and Probate Team, based in our Clacton-on-Sea Office.
If you would like to speak to a member of our Wills, Life Planning and Probate team about making or reviewing your will, please get in touch. We are here to help you get it right.