We use some essential cookies to make our website work properly.
We’d also like to set additional cookies to help us improve our website, tailor marketing and provide a more personal experience.
What is a will?
A will is a legal document which allows you to express your wishes about the people you want to inherit your money, property and possessions (otherwise known as your estate) after you have passed away.
Sometimes known as your last will and testament, it includes information such as how you would like to distribute your assets, who you would like to bring up your children and what sort of funeral you would like. If you die without writing one, people you care about might lose out, as your estate will be distributed according to strict rules.
While many people know that having a will is important, more than half of British adults haven’t made one. Whether you have a complicated estate or you’d simply like help with writing one, you can get a professionally written Will drawn up with Key Estate Planning – all from the comfort of your own home.
-
Family disputes: Limit the chances of any family fallouts when you’re gone by clearly stating what you’d like to leave and who you’d like to leave it to
-
Heirlooms going to the wrong people: If you’re separated from your husband or wife and not on good terms, the last thing you’d want is for them to inherit your treasured possessions
-
Anyone having to second guess what you would have wanted: Your family will have been through enough without having to decide what your wishes might have been
-
People you don’t want inheriting your estate: With an ‘exclusion clause’, estranged relatives who you do not wish to leave anything to will not be able to inherit from your estate, nor will they be able to successfully contest your Will
- Ensure provision is made for any dependents you have: If you have children, you can clearly state what you will be providing them with. If you have dependants under the age of 18, you can state in your will who should take responsibility for them and where you would like them to live if you pass away
- Decide how you would like to divide your assets: whether you split it between multiple relatives or leave it to one person - the choice is yours and yours alone. You can even leave part or all of your estate to a charity or other organisation.
- Protect your estate from those you don’t wish to inherit i.e. an estranged spouse: If you’re separated from your partner, you can ensure that they don’t receive anything that belonged to you Ensure your beneficiaries’ inheritance is protected against any hostile creditors, if necessary
- Make provision for your pets: Whether you’ve got dogs, cats or rabbits at home, you can decide what you want to happen to them in your will
- Incorporate your funeral wishes to ensure your loved ones are aware of your requests. If you’d like everyone to wear a bright colour, for example, you can state this
- Ensure your treasured possessions are cherished: From beautiful jewellery to old photos, a will allows you to list who you’d like to look after them
- Name any sentimental items in your will that you have in mind for a specific beneficiary
What can I leave in my will?
Within your will, you can leave the following to your beneficiaries:
-
Valuable items
-
Your property
-
Your business
-
Intellectual property
-
Intangible assets such as bonds and shares
-
Pension schemes and self-administered pension plans
How do I write a will? - Will writing step-by-step guide
If you are asking yourself the question ‘How do you make a Will?’, allow us to help.
Before you write it, you will have to decide who gets what. Understanding what is a will and setting down the basics of your plan for your estate before discussing it with your family or close friends is a good place to start.
If you need any assistance on how to make a will, our will writers are always available to help. Simply request a callback and one of our estate planning specialists will be in touch.
Can you write your own will?
You could make a will yourself for a low fee, either online or using form templates. However, if you’re considering how to make a will at home, there are some things you’ll need to be aware of before you do:
-
Any misleading or ambiguous wording could cause confusion and may even make your documents invalid
-
There are standard rules for writing a will which need to be adhered to
-
You may overlook certain points and leave out vital instructions about your estate
-
Any mistakes could be hard for your loved ones to fix after you've passed away
-
There is no legal protection against any errors you make You may want to consider hiring an expert to ensure that your wishes are accurately documented.
Why choose Key for will advice?
When you come to us, you can rest assured that your estate is in the right hands. Our will writing professionals will listen to your wishes and provide sound advice on what’s best for you and your loved ones in the future.
Our estate planners are fully qualified and members of The Society of Will Writers, which means our service meets strict writing guidelines. It's the purpose of The Society to highlight the public's need for a valid will as well as acting as a self-regulatory body.
As members of this society, Key adheres to its proficient standards of technical knowledge and clarity and is committed to undergoing regular training to maintain its quality of service when writing a will.
Wills FAQs
Here are some answers to the most common ones we get asked:
While using a Will writing service to help write your final wishes can be more expensive, it can save a lot of hassle for those you leave behind – especially when it is done properly by experienced estate planning specialists.
If you’re wondering what it costs to have a Will drawn up, the answer to that is that it varies. Depending on whether you’re in need of a simple, complex or specialist Will, the price will differ. The best thing to do is request a callback from our team. They will be able to provide you with information based on your individual situation.
If you're exploring the option of doing it yourself, then why not speak to an estate planner for free to learn about the pros and cons of setting up your will without professional guidance?
If you pass away without making a valid Will, the government will decide who inherits your possessions, property and money – your estate – according to the Laws of Intestacy.
Only married or civil partners, plus some other close relatives, can inherit under these rules. Through application of these laws, if you and your partner are unmarried and not in a civil partnership, it will certainly mean that they will inherit nothing from your estate.
In the case of separation without divorce, your estranged spouse would still inherit from your estate if you do not have a valid will.
If you make a will but it is not legally valid, the Law of Intestacy will also decide how your estate will be shared out. This means that your wishes expressed in the Will might not be executed.
The rules are incredibly strict and don’t make allowances for some of the more modern family arrangements. For example, if you and your partner lived together, but were never married, your partner would not be recognised under these rules. It’s important to understand the Rules of Intestacy fully. Writing a will is the best way to ensure your estate is taken care of as you wish.
Yes - significant changes in your life, or those of your loved ones, should prompt you to update your Will so that it continues to reflect your wishes. If you have taken out an equity release plan, we recommend having your Will updated. Having a Will that is out of date is often worse than not having one at all.
When you make your Will with Key, you can update it at any stage should your circumstances or wishes change. Usually we will only charge an admin fee, starting from just £99 including VAT if you do not have storage facility with Key. If you opted for storage within the package any future amendment will cost £49.50 per Will to be amended.
These pages give a general overview of the issues surrounding estate planning and are based on our understanding of the current law and tax regulation in England and Wales, which may be subject to change.
Page last updated: Monday 14 April 2025