Signing guide · Wills
How to sign your Will
Your Will only works if it’s signed and witnessed in exactly the right way. It takes about five minutes. Follow these steps and you’ll get it right first time.
Step zero
Choose the right witnesses
This is where most problems happen. If the wrong person witnesses your Will, the Will can still be valid but any gift to that witness, or to their husband, wife or civil partner, fails. Choosing well avoids that.
Good witnesses
- Aged 18 or over
- Able to see you sign and understand what they’re doing
- Not related to you, or to anyone named in your Will, by blood, marriage or civil partnership
- Your two witnesses can be related to each other, such as a neighbour and their partner
- Happy to give their name, address, phone number and occupation
Must not witness
- Anyone who inherits anything under your Will
- The husband, wife or civil partner of anyone who inherits
- Your own husband, wife or partner
- Anyone under 18
We also recommend avoiding close family, your executors and anyone else named in your Will, even if the law would allow it.
Step by step
Signing your Will
Do every step in one sitting, with you and both witnesses together in the same room from start to finish.
Witnesses must be there in person.
Witnessing a Will over a video call hasn’t been allowed since 31 January 2024. If we join you by video to guide you through signing, your two witnesses still need to be in the room with you.
Read your Will one last time
Check names, addresses and gifts are right. If anything is wrong, don’t sign and don’t correct it by hand. Call us and we’ll send a corrected copy.
Gather everyone together
You and both witnesses sit together at a table. Nobody leaves the room until all three of you have signed. The witnesses don’t need to read your Will, only see you sign it.
Write in the date
On the final page, write today’s date in full, including the year, for example 1st day of January 2026.
You sign first
Sign in the space marked for you, using your usual signature, while both witnesses watch. Use a black pen, and pass the same pen to your witnesses so everything on the page is in the same colour.
Each witness signs
Each witness signs in their own space, while you (and ideally the other witness) watch.
Witnesses add their details
Each witness writes their full name, address, phone number and occupation clearly in the boxes under their signature. This means they can be found if they’re ever needed.
Check, then leave it alone
Check every space on the signing page is filled in. Then don’t staple, unstaple, paper-clip, pin or write anything else on your Will. Marks like these can raise questions about whether something has been added or removed.
Send it back to us
If we posted you a signing pack, return your signed Will with your signed client declaration and any other forms in the pack. Use Royal Mail Tracked 48 (or another tracked service) so it can’t go missing. We’ll let you know when it arrives.
Example
What a correctly signed Will looks like
This is the final page of a Will, filled in properly. The date is written in full, the person making the Will has signed, and both witnesses have signed and added all their details.
The names and addresses are made up.
Avoid these
The most common mistakes
A witness who inherits
Their gift is lost. Double-check neither witness, nor their spouse or civil partner, is named in your Will.
Not everyone in the room
Both witnesses must see you sign. Signing first and asking a witness to sign later makes the Will invalid.
Couples signing the wrong Will
Mirror Wills look alike. Check the name on the front before you sign, and don’t witness each other’s Wills.
Handwritten changes
Never use correction fluid. Crossings-out and additions can be ignored or cause disputes. Ask us for a corrected Will instead.
Staples and clips
Removing a staple or attaching notes leaves marks that may need explaining to the Probate Registry later.
Mixing pens
Use one black pen for everyone. Different colours on the signing page can raise questions later about when each part was added.
I can’t find two independent witnesses. What can I do?
Neighbours, friends, colleagues and people at your bank, GP surgery or a local business are often happy to help. If you’re still stuck, call us and we’ll arrange a signing meeting with you.
Can my executor be a witness?
Only if they don’t inherit anything. Many executors are also beneficiaries, so we recommend choosing someone else.
Can we sign over a video call?
We can guide you through signing by video, but your two witnesses must be physically in the room with you. Video witnessing was only allowed temporarily during the pandemic and ended on 31 January 2024.
What if I can’t sign my name?
Please don’t sign. Call us first. If illness or disability makes signing difficult, there are other ways to sign a valid Will, but the Will needs special wording, so we’ll prepare it for you.
I’ve made a mistake on the signing page.
Don’t try to fix it. Call us and we’ll tell you whether it can be put right or whether we need to send you a fresh copy to sign.
When does my Will become valid?
As soon as you and both witnesses have signed it correctly. Sending it back to us lets us check it and store it safely, but it’s valid from the moment of signing.
Not sure about anything? Ask us first.
It’s much easier to answer a question before you sign than to fix a Will afterwards. We can also arrange a signing meeting in person or by video.