Free Will Planner
Most people put off making a will because they don't know where to start. This free planner walks you through the key decisions, who carries out your wishes, who looks after your children, what you want to leave and to whom, and builds a clear summary you can print or save. You can then take it to a will-writing service or solicitor, or use it to write your own will. It's a planning tool, not a will itself.
Get instant help right now
A Citizens Advice appointment can take weeks. Our free assistant is available 24/7 with no appointment, giving you clear, step-by-step answers about your exact situation, what to do next, and the deadlines that matter.
Need to take action? It can draft a ready-to-send formal letter for you (optional, from £4.99).
England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland.
Plan your will
Your will planning summary
Fill in the sections above and your summary will build here. You can then print it or save it as a PDF to take to a will-writing service or solicitor, or to use when writing your own will.
How to make it legal in England & Wales
Your summary above isn't a will yet, it becomes a legal will only when it's written up and signed correctly. To make a valid will:
- You must be 18 or over and of sound mind.
- Put the will in writing.
- Sign it in the presence of two witnesses (both 18 or over) who are watching at the same time.
- Each witness must then sign while you watch.
- Neither witness, nor their husband, wife or civil partner, can be a beneficiary, or that gift is void. Use neutral witnesses.
- Store the signed original safely and tell your executor where it is. Don't staple, alter or unstaple it afterwards.
See our step-by-step how to make a will guide for the full detail.
This planner produces a summary of your wishes to help you organise your thoughts, it is not a will and has no legal effect. It is general information, not legal advice. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere; it stays in your browser.
What this tool does, and doesn't do
- ✓It helps you organise your wishes into a clear, printable summary
- ✓It gives you a step-by-step checklist for making your will legally valid in your part of the UK
- ✓It flags when your situation is complex enough to need a solicitor
- ✓It does NOT create a legal will, your summary only becomes a will once it's written up and signed and witnessed correctly
- ✓Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere, it stays in your browser
What to think about before you start
- ✓Executors, the people who'll carry out your will. Pick at least one you trust, ideally with a back-up
- ✓Guardians, who looks after your children under 18 if you die. Without a will, a court decides
- ✓Specific gifts, particular items or sums for particular people or charities
- ✓The residue, who gets everything that's left, and a back-up if they die before you
- ✓Funeral wishes, burial or cremation, and anything else you'd like
Turning your plan into a valid will
Once you've printed your summary, you have a few options:
- ✓Write it yourself, fine for very simple estates, as long as you follow the witnessing rules exactly
- ✓Use an online will service, a guided, fixed-fee service that reduces the risk of basic errors
- ✓Use a solicitor, best for blended families, business assets, property abroad, trusts, or Inheritance Tax planning
Whichever you choose, also consider setting up a power of attorney, a will deals with what happens after you die, but a power of attorney protects you while you're alive if you ever lose the ability to make decisions.
Get instant help right now
A Citizens Advice appointment can take weeks. Our free assistant is available 24/7 with no appointment, giving you clear, step-by-step answers about your exact situation, what to do next, and the deadlines that matter.
Need to take action? It can draft a ready-to-send formal letter for you (optional, from £4.99).
England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
Is the will planner a legal will?
No. The planner produces a summary of your wishes to help you organise your thoughts and prepare. It has no legal effect on its own. Your wishes only become a legal will once they're written up and signed and witnessed correctly, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that means signing in front of two witnesses, and in Scotland one witness.
Is the will planner free?
Yes, the planner is completely free with no sign-up. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere, it stays in your browser. You can print your summary or save it as a PDF to take to a will-writing service or solicitor.
Can I write my own will after using the planner?
Yes. Your printed summary gives you everything you need to write your own will or to brief an online will service or solicitor. Writing your own is fine for simple estates if you follow the witnessing rules exactly, but use a solicitor for anything complex, trusts, business assets, property abroad, blended families, or Inheritance Tax planning.
Do I still need a solicitor?
Not always. For a straightforward estate you can make a valid will yourself or through an online service. You should use a solicitor if your situation is complex, for example if you want to set up a trust, own a business or foreign property, have a blended family, want to exclude someone who might expect to inherit, or your estate may face Inheritance Tax.
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