Are DIY wills legally valid in the UK?

[koda1968]

are DIY will legal been told yes and no.

They are, as long as they're discoverable i believe.

I believe so, so long as they're properly witnessed etc

Yes but make sure they are signed and appropriately witnessed.

They have to meet the requirements. Dated. Signed. Two witnesses signatures also dated. Appoint an executor. Not sure if I've missed anything.

As long as they have been properly signed and witnessed, yes. But there is a strong risk that they will be so badly worded that they don’t do the job they need to do
if there are minors or property involved.
What if the beneficiaries die first?
You know, solicitors make a lot of money sorting out wills that have caused problems.
Use a solicitor. In some months, usually November and March, some solicitors will do a free will as long as you make a donation to charity.

Lots of charities offer free will writing in the hope that you include at least a small bequest, but that isn’t compulsory.

They only have to be as discoverable as any other will which is a matter for the testator. Non discoverable wills aren't illegal per se, they just don't get found!

My parents got theirs done with the British Heart Foundation (but they were very straight forward bequests/estate). I think it was over-60s only for free. I think Marie Curie do free wills for anyone over 18.

I think any of the free/charity wills only deal with simple estates (and aren't going to help you if you're trying to find the best way to minimize Inheritance Tax for example).

Link to Marie Curie: www.mariecurie.org.uk/donate/gift-in-will/free-will-writing-service

Yes. There are some requirements that have to be met to make them valid, but none of them are "you must have used a lawyer to draft this". I drafted my one (but mine is simple and I'm a lawyer albeit don't advise normally on wills). However if you aren't a lawyer I would say it's best to either do a lot of research, keep the will very simple, and make sure you are able to express yourself very clearly (many non-lawyers struggle with this in my experience) or use a professional to help you.

A lawyer will also go through the “ What if?” situations you haven’t considered.

My friend wrote her own Will. I had advised her against this because she is NC with one of her DC
and I could foresee issues in the event of her death. Having written her own Will she then asked me if I would witness it. I said, I would and offered to go and fetch a neighbour to be the other witness. "Oh no" I was told "Pauline signed it at the weekend."I then refused to sign it, which upset her, because I knew it would not be valid, and I explained why, but I know she got someone else to do it.

My dilemma now is what I say when she dies. The Will, which excludes one of her DC, is not valid. If this comes to light, then her estate will be split equally between all of her DC, which is , of course , not at all what she intended.

Use a solicitor or a qualified will writer.

Say nothing of course!? Why would you?

I'm unlikely to say anything in practice, but it's a good example of how things can go wrong so easily.

It's easy to screw up and make it invalid if you don't get all the technicalities right.

I.e. getting a potential beneficiary to witness it, or both witnesses not witnessing it at the same time, etc.

Then there are all the "what if" scenarios that people don't consider, i.e. what if one beneficiary dies first, is there share spread around the others or does it go to their offspring/next of kin, etc.

My previous post on this thread has been removed. Presumably someone thought it was an advert, which is amusing.

As others have said, there is no requirement to use a lawyer to draft a will. However, lawyers who specialise in this area make money from sorting out problems caused by poorly drafted or incorrectly executed DIY wills. A DIY will can be fine, but it may be a false saving.

@mumblechum0 is a regular MN poster who writes wills. I have not used her myself, but she has had good reviews from those who have.