Are Online Wills Legally Valid in the UK?
Short answer: yes — provided the will is printed, signed in ink, and witnessed correctly. Where you bought or downloaded the will is entirely irrelevant to its legal status. Here is exactly what the law says and what you actually need to do.
The short version
- ✓An online will is legally valid in England & Wales if it is printed and executed correctly.
- ✓The Wills Act 1837 does not care where the document came from — only how it is signed.
- ✗A purely electronic will — completed and signed digitally with no paper — is not valid under current English law.
- ✓Download → print → sign in ink with two witnesses → valid will.
What does “online will” actually mean?
The phrase “online will” gets used to mean two very different things, and the distinction matters legally:
Type 1: Online service → paper will (fully valid)
You use a website or app to produce a will template — either filling in an online form or downloading a DOCX/PDF template. You then print it out, sign it in ink with two witnesses, and store it safely. This is what WillSafe UK offers. The final document is a physical paper will that satisfies every requirement of the Wills Act 1837. The online part is just how you obtained and customised the template — it has no bearing on validity.
Type 2: Fully electronic will — signed digitally, never printed (not valid)
A document completed and signed entirely online using an electronic signature, never printed out. In England and Wales this is not a valid will under current law. There is no equivalent to the Uniform Electronic Wills Act used in some US states. English law still requires physical paper and a wet-ink signature.
The law: what the Wills Act 1837 actually requires
All wills in England and Wales are governed by the Wills Act 1837. Section 9 of the Act sets out four requirements for a valid will — and not one of them mentions solicitors, regulated services, or how the document was produced:
Wills Act 1837, s9 — the four requirements:
- 1.The will must be in writing (physical paper — not digital-only)
- 2.It must be signed by the testator (the person making the will) in ink, or by someone else in their presence and at their direction
- 3.The signature must be made or acknowledged in the presence of two or more witnesses present at the same time
- 4.Each witness must attest and sign the will in the testator's presence
That is the complete legal test. Will-writing is not a reserved legal activity under the Legal Services Act 2007 — which means there is no requirement for a solicitor, a regulated service, or any professional involvement at all.
A will downloaded from a website, printed at home, and signed in front of two neighbours meets every single one of these requirements. A will created by a high-street solicitor but signed without witnesses fails them.
Why electronic signatures are not valid for wills
Many legal documents in England and Wales can now be signed electronically — contracts, deeds, and statutory declarations among them. Wills are a deliberate exception.
Law Commission — current status (31 May 2026)
The Law Commission recommended permitting electronic wills in its report Making a Will(16 May 2025). The government's formal response was due by 16 May 2026. As of 31 May 2026, no formal response has been published. Electronic wills therefore remain invalid under current English law.
The Law Commission published its report Making a Will on 16 May 2025, recommending that Parliament permit fully electronic wills — signed and witnessed electronically — by statute. The government was required to publish a formal response by 16 May 2026 (one year from publication). As of 31 May 2026, no formal government response has been published.
Until Parliament amends the Wills Act 1837, electronic wills remain invalid in England and Wales. The Law Commission's recommendation aims to simplify access to will-making — but any new regime would need safeguards against undue influence, since electronic execution removes the in-person witnessing check the current law provides.
The Electronic Communications Act 2000, the Electronic Identification and Trust Services Regulations 2016, and associated legislation all exclude wills from the scope of electronic execution. Until Parliament passes new legislation, a wet-ink signature on a physical document remains mandatory.
How a WillSafe kit becomes a legally valid will
Our process is designed so that the document you end up with satisfies every requirement of s9 Wills Act 1837:
- 1
Order online
You purchase the kit and receive an editable DOCX and a guidance PDF by instant download.
- 2
Complete the template
You fill in your details: beneficiaries, executor, any specific gifts, guardian for children. Plain-English prompts guide every section.
- 3
Print the completed will
Print on plain white A4 paper. Single-sided. No staples — loose pages are easier for the probate registry.
- 4
Sign in front of two witnesses
All three of you — you and both witnesses — must be in the same room. You sign first, then each witness signs immediately after, all in each other's presence. Our signing guide walks you through this step by step.
- 5
Store safely and tell your executor
Keep the original somewhere secure. Tell your executor where it is. Consider registering it with the National Will Register.
After step 4, you have a legally valid will in England and Wales. The fact that the template came from a website is irrelevant — the document itself is physical, signed, and witnessed exactly as the 1837 Act requires.
Mistakes that can invalidate an online will — and how to avoid them
None of these risks are unique to online wills. They apply to any will, however it was produced:
Signing in stages without witnesses
Signing the document at home alone and then asking witnesses to sign it later (even the same day) invalidates the will. All three signatures must happen in a single ceremony with all parties present.
A beneficiary as witness
Under s15 of the Wills Act 1837, if a witness (or their spouse or civil partner) is a beneficiary, that specific gift is void — though the rest of the will remains valid. Choose witnesses who are not named anywhere in the will and who have no financial interest in your estate.
Making changes to the printed document after signing
Handwritten alterations to a will after it has been signed and witnessed are not valid unless they are separately signed and witnessed as a codicil. If you want to change anything, make the change in the electronic file and reprint — then sign and witness the new document afresh.
Not printing — or signing the on-screen version
A will must be in writing (physical paper). Signing a PDF on a tablet screen or saving a completed form in the cloud without printing is not a valid will. Print it before you sign.
Forgetting to update after a major life event
Marriage automatically revokes a will under s18 Wills Act 1837. Divorce removes gifts to an ex-spouse but does not revoke the rest of the will. Having children does not automatically update guardians or inheritance shares. Review your will whenever something significant changes.
When a solicitor is worth the cost
A well-executed online will kit is sufficient for most people with a straightforward estate. A solicitor adds real value when:
- →You own property outside England and Wales
- →You want to set up a trust for minor children or a vulnerable beneficiary
- →Your estate is likely to exceed inheritance tax thresholds and you want active planning
- →You have a blended family where disputes are possible
- →You own a business that needs succession planning
- →You want to disinherit a spouse or dependent (the Inheritance Act 1975 allows provision claims)
For everyone else — the majority of adults in England and Wales — a properly completed and signed online will kit produces a document that is just as legally enforceable as anything drafted in a solicitor's office.
WillSafe UK kits — Wills Act 1837 compliant
Every kit includes a template with a fully compliant attestation clause, step-by-step signing instructions, and plain-English guidance. All kits are designed specifically for England & Wales.
- ✓Professionally drafted template with s9 Wills Act 1837 attestation clause
- ✓Step-by-step witnessing ceremony guide
- ✓Editable DOCX + typeset PDF — download instantly
- ✓Estate planning checklist and glossary included
Frequently asked questions
Are online wills legally valid in England and Wales?+
Yes — as long as the will is printed on paper, signed in ink by the person making the will (the testator), and witnessed by two independent adults who both sign in the testator's presence at the same time. The method used to create or order the will — including using an online service — is irrelevant to its legal validity. What matters is the execution ceremony, not where the document came from.
Can you sign a will electronically in the UK?+
No. Unlike many other legal documents, wills in England and Wales cannot be signed electronically under current law. Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 requires a handwritten (wet ink) signature. The Electronic Communications Act 2000 and subsequent regulations do not apply to wills. A will signed only electronically — without printing and hand-signing — would not be valid.
Does buying a will kit online make it less legally valid?+
Not at all. The medium of purchase has no bearing on legal validity. A template downloaded from the internet, printed on a home printer, signed in front of two witnesses, and stored safely is just as valid as a will drafted by a solicitor. The legal requirements come from the Wills Act 1837, which says nothing about where the document originated.
What would make an online will invalid?+
The risks are the same as for any will: signing alone without two witnesses present at the same time; a witness who is also a beneficiary (or their spouse/civil partner), which voids that specific gift; the testator lacking mental capacity at signing; or evidence of undue influence. None of these are caused by using an online service — they are execution errors that apply to any will.
Are online will writing services regulated in the UK?+
Will writing is not a reserved legal activity under the Legal Services Act 2007, which means services do not have to be regulated to operate legally. However, regulated providers (solicitors, legal executives) give you consumer protection rights if something goes wrong. When using an unregulated online service, choose one that produces a template explicitly compliant with section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 and includes a signed attestation clause.
Will UK law change to allow electronic wills?+
Possibly, but not yet. The Law Commission published its report 'Making a Will' on 16 May 2025, recommending that Parliament permit fully electronic wills — signed and witnessed electronically — by statute. The government was required to publish a formal response by 16 May 2026. As of 31 May 2026, no formal government response has been published. Until Parliament amends the Wills Act 1837, an electronic-only will remains invalid in England and Wales. Any will you make today must still be printed on paper, signed in ink, and witnessed in person.
Self-help template, not legal advice. WillSafe UK is a trading name of WSC Group. We are not solicitors and we do not provide legal advice. Our products are self-help templates and guidance for England & Wales. Will-writing is not a reserved legal activity under the Legal Services Act 2007. For complex estates, blended families, business assets or foreign property, please speak to a qualified solicitor. See our full disclaimer.