Quick Answer
A legally valid Will in England and Wales must be in writing, signed by an adult of sound mind, and signed by two independent witnesses present at the same time — the formalities set by section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. ClearLegacy delivers a structured, quality-checked Will usually in 24 hours for £89 (single) or £129 (mirror).
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A straightforward route to a valid Will in England and Wales
Writing a Will does not require a solicitor, a courthouse, or an afternoon in a stuffy office. In England and Wales, the law that governs Wills — the Wills Act 1837 — sets out a short, specific list of requirements. Meet them, and your Will is legally valid. Miss one, and the document has no legal effect, regardless of how much you paid for it.
ClearLegacy was built to handle those requirements for you. You answer a structured set of questions online. Your Will is drafted from your answers and checked by our automated review before release. You receive the finished document, usually within 24 hours, with clear instructions on how to sign and witness it so that it becomes legally binding.
The bottom line. You can write a Will online in England and Wales, it is fully legal, and it costs a fraction of high-street solicitor fees. The only thing you still have to do yourself is sign the document in front of two witnesses. Everything else is handled.
What makes a Will legally valid in the UK?
Under section 9 of the Wills Act 1837, a Will is legally valid in England and Wales if all of the following conditions are met:
- It is in writing (handwritten, typed, or printed).
- The testator (the person making the Will) is aged 18 or over and has testamentary capacity — meaning they understand what they are doing.
- The Will is signed by the testator, or signed by someone else in their presence and at their direction.
- The signature is made or acknowledged in the presence of two witnesses present at the same time.
- Each witness then signs the Will in the presence of the testator.
Witnesses must be over 18, of sound mind, and — importantly — must not be beneficiaries of the Will or married to a beneficiary. If a beneficiary or their spouse witnesses the Will, the gift to that beneficiary is void, even though the rest of the Will remains valid.
Who can use an online Will service?
An online Will is the right choice for most UK adults whose circumstances are straightforward. You can use ClearLegacy if you want to:
- Leave your estate to a partner, children, named individuals, or charities.
- Appoint guardians for children under 18.
- Name executors — the people who will administer your estate.
- Set out specific gifts, charitable legacies or funeral wishes.
- Replace an existing Will with an updated version.
You should seek a specialist solicitor if you have foreign assets in multiple jurisdictions, business ownership with tax-planning implications, or blended families with competing inheritance claims requiring bespoke trust structures.
What ClearLegacy includes as standard
Every ClearLegacy Will, regardless of tier, includes:
- Structured drafting — your answers are transcribed into properly worded legal clauses built and maintained against the Wills Act 1837.
- Quality assured — every draft is checked by our automated review before release.
- Clear signing instructions — a simple guide explaining exactly how to sign and witness the Will so it becomes legally binding.
- One free update — you can update your Will once for free after payment.
- Secure digital storage — your completed Will is stored encrypted in your account (unsigned).
- Fixed-fee pricing — the price you see is the price you pay. No hourly billing, no hidden extras.
Can I make a Will online in the UK?
Yes. In England and Wales the law does not care whether a Will was drafted by a solicitor, typed at home or produced from an online questionnaire — it cares that the document meets section 9 of the Wills Act 1837: in writing, signed by you, and witnessed by two independent adults present at the same time. An online Will service handles the drafting; you handle the signing. The result is a Will with the same legal standing as one from a high-street firm. (This edition is for England and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own succession law, so it has its own ClearLegacy edition at ni.clearlegacy.co.uk. We do not cover Scotland.)
What to look for in an online Will writing service
Not every online Will service is the same. Before you pay, check:
- Is it written for England and Wales? Some services sell one template across the UK, Ireland and beyond. A Will that gets the jurisdiction wrong can fail.
- Is every Will actually checked? Ask whether a person or a rules-based review looks at your answers before the Will is issued, or whether the PDF is generated the moment you pay. ClearLegacy checks every Will before it is issued.
- Is the price fixed? Look for annual subscriptions, “storage” fees or paid updates added at checkout. ClearLegacy is £89 single or £129 Mirror, with one free update included.
- Do you get signing instructions? A Will that is drafted correctly can still fail if it is signed or witnessed incorrectly, so clear signing instructions matter as much as the drafting.
- Does it tell you when to stop? A good service refuses complex cases — trusts, business assets, foreign property — and points you to a solicitor rather than issuing a Will that does not fit.
- How is your data handled? Your answers include names, addresses and family details. Look for encrypted storage and a clear privacy policy.
How long does it take to make a Will online?
The questionnaire takes about 15 minutes if you already know who your executors, guardians and beneficiaries are. Your first draft is emailed straight after payment, and the signing-ready Will usually follows within 24 hours once it has been checked. Most people have a signed, witnessed Will within a couple of days of starting — compared with a typical two-to-four-week wait for a solicitor appointment and draft.