AIBU in thinking I should make my own homemade Will?

[Eightiesmusic]

I'm ready to do my Will, I believe it's going to be relatively straightforward as my estate will go to my children in equal measures.

However, I'm not certain that doing a DIY Will is the best option, as I've read horror stories where Wills have found to be invalid. But surely if the Will is executed properly, with witnesses signing at the same time as the Testator, and the contents of the Will and the Testator's wishes are clear then how can it be a problem drawing up your own Will?
Can anyone advise please? Should I do my own following the necessary signing rules or go to a Solicitor?

If I'm single and I want everything left to my children. What would be the "mess" created after my death if I didn't use the solicitor and did it myself?

There are any number of mistakes that can be made. My friend saw a home made will where the testator had filled it the wrong section when dividing everything between his siblings. This meant the intestacy rules applied and although his siblings did inherit in the end it made the probate process extremely complicated and stressful. Are your children adults? If not you need to think about what happens while they are under 18 or if grandchildren benefit while under 18.

Honestly, I would use a solicitor. Appreciate wanting to save money but I'd see it as spending a little to protect a lot (all of your assets!) and avoid future headache/potential additional costs for your family.

While it might be straight forward if there is any fall out and you have done a self written will then the are easily contested and are quite often thrown out of court and then probate takes over which takes time and wastes money.

and while you might think it’s all ok; my dad has 4 siblings and my grandads will had cut one of them out due to family issues, however he will not get it done by a solicitor an has used a free will writing services and I know (I work in the financial industry) that when the times comes if she contests it (she will) that the will not stand up in court and it’s going to be chaotic. For the sake of £120 get it done properly

Children could fall out, children could want a specific item of jewellery etc and not get it and cause trouble!

you could need care and one child does more than the others and feels they deserve more and a self written will is easy contested

When I studied law at uni we had a whole lecture on these DIY will packs and the errors they contained. It’s really worth getting a lawyer to do it, they will make sure there is no ambiguity, it is executed correctly, etc plus they might ask you things you hadn’t considered eg what do you want to happen if one of your beneficiaries or your executor dies before you

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My late husband made a very simple will leaving everything to me (using a free template found online) and I had no problems with anybody accepting it.

I’ve used a site called freewills.co.uk (recommended by money saving expert) to leave everything equally divided between two relatives and three friends, it was very straightforward. They do try and sell you addons at every opportunity, but just keep declining and it really is free.

Some of the charities who will provide a ‘free’ will service do so in return for a percentage of the Estate, best to research the details before agreeing and signing.

Where family dynamics are not straight forward, second or subsequent marriages and minor children are involved, always, always, always use a solicitor or Will specialist.

My late husband made a very simple will leaving everything to me (using a free template found online) and I had no problems with anybody accepting it.

Wouldnt he have inherited everything anyway? Or did you have children from a previous relationship?

You could write down what you want and then use one of the charity services where a solicitor offers free will writing in exchange for a small legacy to the charity. The wording is important and you need to consider for example what happens if one of your heirs predeceaces you; does the money go to the other child or to the deceased child's children, or whatever.

Okay fair. I wasn't considering that the wills would go down to specific item routes. My experiemce of death and wills have just been about money and not items. Those fights are just a private non legal matters in our circles😃😃
As for siblings falling out, all the cases I know are of cases where a solicitor was defo used so no experience of self made written wills being easier to contest. But if they are considered less reliable in court then worth it to use a solicitor.

Of course i am pro will but if it is straight forward all to kids, then sometimes it might be easier to not make one so nobody will contest any wording

It’s fine to do a diy will as long as it’s very simple and you don’t have a fractured family likely to fight. Mine is diy for now as I don’t have enough to fight over or rather my half the house goes to my dc but only after dh dies/goes into a care home/sells

If you don’t make a will it will go to probate, take months and cost money. A will is about £120. Even if it’s just split my assets equally between my children.

you will also be asked to make provisions if you out survive any of you children. Ie should their share go to any children they have or is it that you would just want the split between surviving children. And this is were solicitors writing with correct wording comes in.

Avoid the charities offering a free service as long as you leave a bequest, some have a reputation for being very impatient to get their hands on the money when you pass behaving far from sensitively with any relatives

Do you not need to a have tenancy in common (you may already have this) and maybe also a trust so your husband can be life tenant whist still allowing your children to inherit your half of the home?

This - it’s worth its weight in gold

have you thought about what happens to one of children’s share if they die - do you want their share to go to your other kids or to their kids?

if you do it professionally they can make the will have longevity - they will point out things you haven’t thought of - like the above

co op are doing an offer at the moment - well worth taking advantage of as they are rated well be users

for peace of mind dont do it yourself - you want to make this estate planning easiest as possible for your kids so my advice would be to limit any fallout

Please don't cut corners

yes it’s important to get witnesses that can be traced or do at with solicitors

i did it through solicitors but we got someone who was expert in wills not an actual solicitor - maybe they oversea it

As well as upset at a time when you want peace

My dad did a will kit from Amazon had it all properly signed with next door neighbours as witnesses - he died last year and the probate office aren’t accepting the will even though everything goes to my mum who he was married to - having experienced this as an executor I would 100% recommend everyone do it properly with a solicitor, I’ve had so much trouble with it all. I had have a solicitor draft an affadavit fo swear that the will hasn’t been forged 😭

My family all get along and my dad left everything to my mum his wife of 35 years and the DIY will has been rejected by the probate office

It’s a pain if it goes wrong and you will be unable to rectify as you’ll be dead.

What if one dies first? What if they die in an accident together? Who’s next etc.
get it done properly.

If I’m single with one child only do I really need more than a diy will. Everything I own will go to my dd.

Don't cut corners. A solicitor will look at all the eventualities, give advice on tax and make sure it’s properly executed. They’ll also store it for you.

I would ensure that my wishes are noted clearly, and would leave instructions as to who would inherit any of my children's share if (god forbid) either or both of them were to predecease me.

I would also ensure that my Will would be executed properly and dated and signed by independent witnesses who would not benefit financially from my estate.