Why you should write a will — and how to do it for free

Writing a will can be one of the simplest ways to reduce your inheritance tax bill, making it a great weapon against the taxman. Yet, the majority of us have never bothered to write one.

One in four over 55s (27%) have not yet written a will, according to a survey of 2,000 people by financial services firm Canada Life.

If you die without a will, or it is outdated, your estate is subject to the laws of intestacy.

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Liz Hardie, technical specialist in tax, trusts and estate planning at Canada Life says laws of intestacy “may not be aligned with your wishes and could result in a costly legal dispute or an unexpected inheritance tax bill if your assets go to your children instead of a spouse or civil partner.”

If you're married, laws of intestacy mean jointly-held assets pass to your spouse, but the rest of your estate is divided up between your spouse and your children. Your spouse gets the first £322,000 plus half of the remainder, with the rest split between your children.

The problem with this is that if everything goes to your spouse, there is no inheritance tax due, but if the amount passed to your children exceeds £325,000, then they could face a tax bill. Write a will and you avoid this problem.

Another reason to have a will is to ensure your money goes to the people you love. Without one, your money could pass to an ex-partner you haven't divorced yet, or a distant relative rather than your long-term partner. Unmarried partners are not included in the laws of intestacy – the concept of a common-law marriage does not exist in the UK – so your partner would receive absolutely nothing by law, unless you've written a will.

Having a will doesn't need to be a complicated process — you could even get it created for free.

Take advantage of Free Wills Months

Free Wills Month happens every March and October. It's a campaign that allows people aged 55 and over to get a will created, or updated, by a solicitor for free (only one of you has to be 55 if you're writing your will as a couple).

Hundreds of law firms across the UK take part, with customers encouraged to leave a legacy to a charity in their will in return for the free legal advice. Charities include the British Heart Foundation, Samaritans, The Salvation Army and Oxfam. There is no obligation to leave a gift to one of the featured charities.

If you miss Free Wills Month, or are too young to take part, you can get help through the Will Aid campaign. It runs every November, with hundreds of solicitors waiving their normal fee for writing a basic will.

You can make a voluntary contribution of £120 for a single basic will or £200 for a pair of basic mirror wills with the proceeds donated to a string of charities including Shelter, Crisis, Age UK and Christian Aid.

The deadline to apply for Will Aid 2025 is 30 November so there’s not long left to get your booking in.

Peter de Vena Franks, campaign director, says: “A will may seem like a simple document, but it’s one of the most important you’ll ever write. It ensures your wishes are respected and makes things that much easier for the people you leave behind.

“Through Will Aid, you can get expert support from a regulated solicitor and know that your donation will go directly towards helping some of the UK’s best-loved charities.”

Six steps that can help when drawing up your will

Olly Cheng, financial planning director at Rathbones Group Plc, shares his top tips on what to consider when it comes to writing your will:

1. Plan long-term: If you have children, it’s important to make sure they are financially protected from any economic hurdles down the line. Therefore, consider who you would entrust as a guardian to care for your kids until they turn 18, and how you plan to divide the estate. Otherwise, the authorities could end up making that decision for you if you or your partner were to pass away unexpectedly.
2. Gift to charity: Anything left to charity is free of inheritance tax, so it’s worth considering this as a way of reducing the tax due on your estate, while also benefiting a good cause. Additionally, if 10% of your net estate is left to charity the rate of IHT applicable on death is reduced to 36% from 40%, meaning the taxman would take a smaller cut of your estate.
3. Pass on assets without IHT charge: On death, assets can be passed on tax-free up to the value of your nil rate band (£325,000). However, if you leave your entire estate to your spouse or civil partner, you won’t have to pay any IHT. The residence nil rate band is a further £175,000 allowance available to anyone who passes the family home to direct descendants, which reduces for estates valued over £2 million. It’s a good idea to keep below the IHT threshold or your estate will be chargeable on death at 40%.
4. Legally bind your will: Make sure that your will is properly signed by two adult independent witnesses – not beneficiaries or those married to anyone who stands to benefit.
5. Giving early inheritance: Passing on wealth while you’re still alive – also known as lifetime gifting – can be an effective way to reduce a future inheritance tax bill, have more control over how your inheritance is used and be able to see your loved ones benefit from your generosity. This could be through a number of ways, whether you help them get onto the property ladder, or start their own business.
6. Watch out for pension and gifting changes: Labour targeted pensions in the 2024 Autumn Budget, with chancellor Rachel Reeves announcing that unused pension funds would no longer be exempt from IHT come April 2027.

Pension provider Royal London has also created a template document called “When I’m Gone” which you can use to detail whether you have made a will, where it is kept and who your executors are.

This could come in useful for family members after a loved one has died.

Don't forget to update your will

Once you have written your will don't forget to keep it up-to-date. Marriage invalidates any previous wills, but divorce doesn't.

Also, make sure that your will is stored somewhere safe where it can easily be found when you die.

"It’s important to review your will regularly to make sure that it matches your current wishes— particularly after life events like marriage, divorce, and births of children and grandchildren," says Cheng at Rathbones.

Writing a will – cheap and easy options

• Do it yourself: You can pick up a do-it-yourself will-writing kit on the high street for around £20. But this is only suitable for people with very simple financial affairs and it is easy to make mistakes that could render it invalid.
• Fixed-fee services: A better option may be a fixed-fee will-writing service. Prices at Which? and Co-op Legal Services start from £99. If you have a premium bank account, check if a will-writing service is included. You could also be entitled to a free will through your home or car insurance policy if you chose to include legal cover.
• Online services: You could also use an online service such as Farewill.com or Make A Will Online. You answer questions online to create your will. It is then checked by a specialist before you are sent a link to download, print and sign. With these online services, you could pay anywhere from £60 to £100 for a single will and £90 to £160 for a joint will. An added benefit of online services is you can easily update your will whenever you like, sometimes for a small additional fee.