Is an online will legal?
Yes. A will written using an online service is legal in England and Wales — but only once the finished document is printed and signed by you and two witnesses in person. The online tool simply drafts the wording. A fully electronic will, signed on screen, is not yet legally valid; you still need a wet-ink signature witnessed in person.
Detailed explanation
"Online will" usually means an interactive service that asks questions and generates a will document for you to print. There is nothing in the law preventing this. What matters is not how the will is drafted but how it is executed — that is, signed and witnessed. Under section 9 of the Wills Act 1837, the document must be printed, signed by you, and witnessed by two independent adults who are present at the same time and who then sign themselves.
Two limits often surprise people. First, an electronic signature on the digital document is not currently sufficient — England and Wales still require a physical signature on paper. Second, witnessing by video call, allowed temporarily during the pandemic, has ended; both witnesses must now be physically present. The Law Commission's 2025 report on wills recommended allowing electronic wills in future, but until Parliament legislates, the paper-and-ink rules apply.
Reputable online will providers are a reasonable, low-cost option for straightforward estates. For anything more complex — second marriages, trusts, business interests, foreign property or inheritance-tax planning — a solicitor or STEP practitioner is safer, because online templates cannot judge your individual circumstances.
Lauren uses an online will service, answers the questions, and pays a small fee. The website emails her a PDF. The will only becomes legally valid when she prints it, signs it in wet ink, and has two colleagues watch her sign and then sign themselves. Until that step, the PDF is just a draft with no legal force.
Sources
- Wills Act 1837, section 9 — legislation.gov.uk
- Law Commission — Modernising Wills Law (final report, May 2025)
- GOV.UK — Make a will
- Reviewed by
- ClearLegacy editorial team
- Last reviewed
- June 2026
- Next review
- December 2026
- Jurisdiction
- England & Wales
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