DIY Will vs Solicitor: Which Is Right for You? - My Local Will Writer
A lot of people ask whether they can write their own will in the UK without using a solicitor. The answer is yes – there is no law that says you need one. But legal and low-risk are not the same thing. A DIY will that goes wrong – through a drafting mistake or a witnessing error – can cause more problems than having no will at all. Here is how the two routes compare, what each costs, and where the risks actually sit.
What does a DIY will involve?
Making a will without a solicitor usually starts with a DIY will template, available from high street stationery shops, Amazon, or specialist websites for around £10 to £30. You fill in your details: who inherits your assets, who you are appointing as executor, and if you have children, who should become their guardian.
Once drafted, you sign the will in the presence of two independent witnesses. Those witnesses must be adults, present at the same time, and must not be beneficiaries or married to one. They sign to confirm they saw you sign. You then store the will somewhere safe and make sure your executor knows where to find it.
For a very simple estate, this can work. The problem is that many people think their situation is simple until they start listing everything out. A house, children from a previous relationship, stepchildren, or a specific gift to one person can all make things more complicated than they first appear.
What does a solicitor do differently?
A solicitor takes your instructions and drafts the will for you, checking for errors, gaps, and anything that might create problems later. They will ask questions you may not think to ask yourself: what happens if a beneficiary dies before you? Should your children inherit at 18, or would you prefer to delay that? Are there inheritance tax implications worth thinking about? Who would you want to act as guardian for young children? Would a trust make more sense in your circumstances?
That advisory layer is what you are paying for. A solicitor-drafted will is harder to challenge and more likely to do what you actually want it to do.
In terms of cost, a straightforward single will typically runs to £150 to £300. A mirror will for a couple often works out slightly cheaper per person. For more complex estates, fees can go higher, and the tailored advice becomes proportionally more valuable. You can read more about how much a will costs across the different routes if price is a key part of the decision.
Not everyone needs a solicitor. But what you are paying for is someone to spot the problems before your family has to deal with them later.
Is a DIY will legally valid – and where does it go wrong?
A DIY will is legally valid in the UK provided it meets the formal requirements. The person making it must be 18 or over and of sound mind. It must be in writing, signed by the person making it, and witnessed by two independent adults who are present at the same time and are not beneficiaries.
The problem is not usually the formalities. It is false confidence in the drafting itself.
A lot of homemade wills go wrong because the person writing them assumes that what they mean is obvious. Estates are dealt with using the wording on the page, not what someone intended in their head.
Ambiguous wording is one of the most common problems. A sentence like “I leave my house to my children” sounds clear enough until real life gets involved. Which children does that include in a blended family? What if the house has been sold and replaced with another property? What if one child has already received a significant gift while you were alive? A single line can open the door to a dispute that takes months and thousands of pounds to resolve.
Witnessing errors cause similar damage. If a beneficiary acts as a witness, or if the signing order is wrong, the will can be challenged or treated as invalid. These are easy mistakes to make, and the kind nobody realises they have made until it is far too late to fix.
Missing clauses are another issue worth knowing about. A residuary clause covers everything not specifically named in the will – whatever is left after debts, expenses, and specific gifts have been dealt with. Without one, assets not clearly covered elsewhere can pass under intestacy rules rather than your actual wishes. Many templates include a residuary clause, but not all, and not everyone knows to look for it.
What all of these have in common is that nobody catches them. With a DIY will, there is no independent check on whether the document does what you intend. That does not mean every homemade will fails – some are perfectly valid. But the margin for error is much smaller when you are doing the drafting and checking yourself.
The middle option: online will services
Between a blank template and a solicitor appointment there is a third route – and this is where My Local Will Writer sits.
An online will service is a guided process, not a blank form. It asks the key questions and structures your instructions correctly. My Local Will Writer adds a further step: the result is checked by a solicitor before it is finalised. You are completing a process designed to produce a legally sound will, rather than drafting one from scratch.
The typical cost is £50 to £90. You complete it from home in around 15 to 20 minutes, with no appointment needed.
It is not the right fit for every situation. If your estate involves overseas assets, trust structures, a business, or a blended family with competing interests, a solicitor is still the better option. That is not small print – it is honest advice. But for most people who need a will that is done without paying solicitor rates, an online service removes most of the risk of doing it yourself.
DIY will vs solicitor: which is right for you?
The best route depends less on budget alone and more on how simple or complex your situation really is. A good way to think about it: the more there is to lose if something is unclear, the less sensible it becomes to rely on a basic template.
| Your situation | Best route |
|---|---|
| Very simple estate – no property, no children, straightforward wishes | DIY may be fine, though an online service is often safer for a relatively small extra cost |
| Property, children, named beneficiaries, executor to appoint | Online will service with solicitor oversight is usually the strongest balance of cost and safety |
| Complex estate – trusts, business assets, overseas property, blended family | Solicitor is usually the better choice because tailored advice matters more here |
The question is not really DIY vs solicitor in the abstract. It is how much risk you are comfortable taking with a will that has to work exactly right when your family needs it most. If you want a safer middle ground between doing it all yourself and paying full solicitor fees, My Local Will Writer is designed for exactly that.