What you're paying for
The £69 price tag on a ClearLegacy will isn't only for the document. It pays for an automated review pipeline that checks the will against current UK estate-planning law before it ever reaches your inbox. The review pipeline is what separates a reviewed online will from a DIY paper kit — and what makes the price difference between ClearLegacy and a high-street solicitor a reflection of overhead, not legal quality.
ClearLegacy is a fully automated service. There are no advisors, no phone consultations, no premium tiers. The review pipeline is software — written and maintained by our founder SL against the Wills Act 1837, the Administration of Estates Act 1925, the Inheritance Tax Act 1984, and current HMRC and Office of the Public Guardian guidance. When the pipeline says a situation is outside what it can safely handle, the will is not delivered — we refer the customer to a solicitor and refund in full.
The six review steps
Every will runs through the same six checks before it's released. They run in sequence — if any step fails, the will is held for re-review rather than delivered.
Wills Act 1837 formalities
The will is checked against the statutory validity rules in section 9 of the Wills Act 1837.
- Capacity statement and date present
- Testator described unambiguously (name, address)
- Signing instructions clearly state two-witness requirement, eligible witnesses, and the order of signing
- Revocation clause cancelling prior wills
- Residuary clause covers any unallocated estate
Executor and witness eligibility
Named executors and witnesses are validated against the eligibility rules.
- At least one executor appointed; substitute executor recommended
- Executors not under 18 at the date of signing
- Witnessing instructions explicitly bar beneficiaries and their spouses (section 15 Wills Act 1837)
- Where a professional executor is named, the implications and likely fees are surfaced to the customer
Beneficiary identification
Every named beneficiary is checked for an unambiguous identifier — full name, relationship, and where relevant a date of birth or address. Vague beneficiary descriptions ("my nephew", "the children") trigger a clarification request.
- Each beneficiary identifiable from the will alone
- Minor beneficiaries trigger a check for an age-of-inheritance clause
- Charity beneficiaries cross-checked against the Charity Commission register
Residuary estate fully allocated
One of the most common DIY-will failures is partial intestacy — the residue isn't allocated, so anything not specifically gifted falls back into intestacy. The pipeline enforces full allocation.
- Residuary clause distributes 100% of the residue
- Default substitution clauses cover predeceased beneficiaries
- Survivorship period (typically 28 days) included where appropriate
Guardianship for minor children
Where the questionnaire indicates the testator has children under 18, the will must appoint a guardian. Missing guardian appointments are a flagged outcome — the will is held until the customer confirms either a named guardian or an explicit decision to leave it to the court.
Inheritance Tax and complexity flags
The estate's IHT profile is screened against the nil-rate band (£325,000), residence nil-rate band (£175,000 where the home passes to direct descendants) and any transferable allowances from a deceased spouse. Estates that look likely to face an IHT bill are flagged with planning information; estates with significant complexity (discretionary trusts, foreign assets, business interests, contested family) are referred to a solicitor and refunded.
What "fully automated" means in practice
The phrase "every will is reviewed" is used loosely across the online-will industry. We want to be precise about what ours means.
- The review is software, not a phone call. ClearLegacy doesn't employ advisors. The pipeline is a defined set of checks that runs against every will. The advantage of this is consistency — every will gets the same review, not the review the duty advisor felt like doing that morning.
- The rules are written by a human. The pipeline's rules are maintained by SL against current statute, HMRC manuals, and Office of the Public Guardian guidance. When the law changes, the rules change. The Editorial Policy covers how content and rules are kept current.
- Hard cases trigger a human-readable hold, not a silent delivery. If the pipeline can't safely handle a situation, the will is not delivered. The customer is contacted by email, the issue is explained in plain English, and the case is either clarified or referred to a solicitor. We'd rather lose the sale than sell you the wrong product.
- Refund if we're not the right fit. If the review concludes ClearLegacy isn't the right service for your situation, you get a full refund and a recommendation to use a solicitor. This is set out in the Refund Policy.
What happens after delivery
Once the will clears review, it's emailed to you as a PDF along with platform-specific signing and witnessing instructions. You print, sign, and witness it according to those instructions — that's the step that makes it a legally valid will under the Wills Act 1837.
ClearLegacy doesn't store the signed original. We recommend keeping it somewhere fire-safe and telling at least one executor where it is. Optionally, you can register its location with the National Will Register (Certainty) for around £30 so executors can locate it after death. The storing-a-will guide covers this in more depth.
Amendments and changes
Every ClearLegacy will includes one free amendment in the first 12 months. Marriage, divorce, a new child, the death of a beneficiary or a change of executor are the most common reasons. Substantial changes — particularly changes that alter the residuary structure — trigger a full re-run of the review pipeline against the amended will.
When ClearLegacy isn't the right service
The review pipeline is explicit about its limits. We refer customers to a solicitor — and refund in full — when their situation involves:
- Discretionary or life-interest trusts inside the will
- Foreign-domiciled assets or testators with non-UK domicile
- Active business succession or shareholder agreements with cross-options
- Known or anticipated contested-family circumstances (1975 Act risk)
- Significant Inheritance Tax exposure requiring bespoke planning beyond the standard allowances
For everyone else — straightforward estates, named beneficiaries, ordinary family situations — the £69 reviewed online will is the right product, legally identical to a solicitor-drafted will under the Wills Act 1837.