DIY Wills: A Ticking Time Bomb for Families

Every week, we speak with families who are devastated – not just by grief, but by the discovery that a loved one’s final wishes may not be worth the paper they’re written on.

The rise of online will-writing kits and DIY templates has made it easier than ever to put something in place. And we understand the appeal. They’re cheap, quick, and feel like a responsible thing to do. But in our experience, they’re also one of the most common reasons families end up in court.

What Can Go Wrong?

A will is one of the most legally precise documents a person will ever sign. The rules around execution are unforgiving, two independent witnesses must be present at the same time, neither of whom can benefit under the will. Get that wrong, and the will fails entirely.

But execution is just the start. DIY wills frequently suffer from:

• Ambiguous or contradictory wording – what seemed clear to the person writing it means something entirely different in law
• Failure to account for life changes – a marriage after the will was made automatically revokes it in England and Wales; many people simply don’t know this
• No consideration of inheritance tax – a professionally drafted will can be structured to minimise exposure; a DIY version rarely does
• Missing residuary clauses – without one, part of the estate may fall into intestacy anyway, defeating the whole purpose

The Human Cost

What troubles us most isn’t the legal technicality, it’s what happens to families when things unravel. Siblings who haven’t spoken in years. Children from a first marriage who feel written out. A surviving spouse left financially exposed.

These disputes are rarely just about money. They’re about feeling unseen, overlooked, or cheated out of what someone believed was promised to them. And once litigation begins, those wounds rarely heal quickly, or cheaply.

“I’ve seen estates almost entirely consumed by legal fees that could have been avoided with a properly drafted will costing a few hundred pounds.”

The Uncomfortable Truth

A contested probate case can cost tens of thousands of pounds and take years to resolve.

The false economy of a DIY will is one of the cruellest ironies in law. People use them to save money. Their families pay far more.

What Should You Do?

If you already have a DIY will, please have it reviewed by a solicitor. It may be perfectly valid, but you deserve to know either way. If you haven’t yet made a will, invest in doing it properly. It is genuinely one of the most important things you can do for the people you love.

And if you’re dealing with a disputed estate right now, whether as an executor, a beneficiary, or someone who believes a will doesn’t reflect the deceased’s true wishes, take early advice. The sooner you understand your options, the better placed you are to protect your position.

How Gordon’s Partnership Can Help

Gordon’s Partnership has an experienced Private Client team who advise individuals and families on all aspects of wills, estate planning, and where disputes arise, contentious probate. Whether you need a will drafted properly from the outset, an existing will reviewed, or specialist advice on a disputed estate, our team is here to help.

To speak with a member of our team, please contact Claire Binyon for wills & estate planning, or Lyssa Reeve for contentious probate & disputed estates.