Homemade Wills are not worth the risk

Homemade Wills usually cause more problems than they solve, an in many cases they are not even valid. The most common reasons for this are that they may not have been executed properly, they may not have been amended in the correct way, or they may not deal with the whole estate.

Some years ago we dealt with a case where a homemade Will was witnessed by the wife of the principal beneficiary. This meant that the gift her husband gave her in the Will was invalid and so the estate went to the family who would have inherited it if there had been no Will. Homemade Wills can therefore cause more problems than not having one at all because the legal costs are increased.

It may be attractive to think that you are saving money by doing a Will yourself but there is a huge risk that it may well not be valid. It could cost your family more to sort things out in the long run. It is quite true to say that making a DIY Will can be a false economy.

Having a Will professionally prepared does not need to cost the earth and will give you complete peace of mind. Solicitors charge between £100 to £300 plus VAT for a basic Will. Having your Will drawn up by a solicitor ensures that it complies with your wishes, is executed correctly and is therefore valid. In other words it is worth spending a little more money upfront to ensure that your family is provided for and that your estate passes as you wish.

Consistent with our policy when giving comment and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems we recommend that professional advice be sought.

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