Wills, NHS pensions, intestacy, executors, witnessing, storage. The questions NHS staff actually ask, in plain English. If yours isn't here, the questionnaire walks you through it — and you can email back if anything's unclear.
13 questions covering pensions, intestacy, witnesses, storage, life insurance, and everything in between.
Some NHS Trusts run occasional Will Aid month promotions where solicitors prepare wills for a charity donation. These are limited, time-restricted, and often have long waiting lists. ClearLegacy's £69 fixed-fee online service is available year-round with a 24-hour turnaround.
NHS Pension Scheme death benefits are paid under your nominated beneficiaries (DB2 / PN1 form), separately from your will. The rest of your estate is distributed under the Intestacy Rules, which often produce results that bear no resemblance to what you would have chosen. Unmarried partners and step-children get nothing under intestacy.
Yes. ClearLegacy's standard turnaround is 24 hours from completed questionnaire to delivered will. Same-day preparation is available on request.
Yes. Validity rules under the Wills Act 1837 are the same regardless of how the will was prepared — written, signed by you, witnessed by two adults who are not beneficiaries (or married to beneficiaries). ClearLegacy's wills meet all of these requirements.
A will only takes effect after you die — it controls who inherits your estate. A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) takes effect while you're alive but can't make decisions for yourself. Both are important. ClearLegacy currently focuses on will writing only; for LPAs we'd point you to the Office of the Public Guardian's online service or a solicitor.
Most adults benefit from both. A will protects your family after death; an LPA protects your decisions if you lose capacity. The will is more urgent if you have children under 18 (only a will can name guardians). The LPA is more urgent if you have an early-stage diagnosis or significant cognitive risk. Both can be put in place in any order.
Yes. In England and Wales, marriage automatically revokes any earlier will (so write a new one shortly after marrying). Divorce doesn't fully revoke a will but treats your ex-spouse as if they had died before you — meaning gifts to them fail, but the rest of the will stands. Best practice: write a new will after any major relationship change. ClearLegacy includes one free amendment per will.
Yes. All information is encrypted and stored securely on UK and EU infrastructure (Cloudflare and Stripe). Your will and personal details are not shared with any third party. We use your information only to prepare and deliver your will.
Yes — there's no legal restriction. Just choose carefully: executors can be called on suddenly when grief is fresh, and the work takes 6–12 months. Pick someone you trust who lives reasonably close to your home. Many NHS staff name their spouse plus an adult child or sibling.
The gift to that beneficiary is void. Witnesses (and their spouses) cannot benefit from a will they witness. Pick witnesses from outside the will: a neighbour, a friend, an adult child of someone unrelated to the beneficiaries. The will itself stays valid; only the gift to the witness fails.
Somewhere your executors can find it. Common options: a fireproof box at home (cheapest), a solicitor's strong room (often free if they hope to do your probate), HMCTS Will Storage Service (about £25 — a government-backed option), a bank safe deposit box (decreasing availability and cost-prohibitive for most people), or a designated will-storage company. Tell your executors where it is.
NHS death-in-service benefits are paid at discretion to your nominated beneficiaries — recorded with NHS Pensions on form DB2 or PN1, separately from your will. Make sure the nominee form is up to date. Your will then directs everything else: home, savings, possessions, and any life insurance not paid under nomination.
NHS death-in-service cover is broadly equivalent to two to three times annual pensionable pay, paid as a lump sum. For most NHS staff with a mortgage and dependants, additional life insurance is sensible — particularly if you have young children and a partner who would struggle on a single income. The will doesn't change this calculation; the will just directs what happens after the insurance pays out.
Yes — and you should. Under the Intestacy Rules, your partner gets nothing. A single will lets you leave them whatever you choose: your share of the home, savings, possessions, life insurance not paid under nomination. This is often the single most-affected group by lack of a will.
Got the answers. Now sort the will.
15-minute questionnaire. £69 fixed fee. Legally valid in England & Wales. Returned within 24 hours.