Originally published: 12 August 2016 | Last updated: 28 August 2025
TL;DR: Free Will kits offer no actual value because their contents prove to be the most inefficient method for crafting a Will. The “free” options fall into three categories: services that bait-and-switch by requiring payment at the final step, downloadable Word documents that are legally inadequate, and blank forms with white space that provide no guidance whatsoever. A properly drafted Will from LegalWills.co.uk costs £49.95 and is dramatically better than any free alternative.
Why are free Will kits a bad idea?
The question is understandable: why pay £49.95 for a Will when free options exist? The answer is the same reason you would not buy a discount lifejacket from a pound shop. Some products require a minimum level of quality to serve their purpose, and a Last Will and Testament is one of them.
LegalWills.co.uk produces well-constructed Wills which extend beyond 5 pages and include more than 20 legal provisions that describe executor responsibilities and trust management and guardian selection and residual asset distribution and other essential elements. No free Will kit comes close to this level of completeness.
How much should you actually pay for a Will?
Option
Cost
What You Get
Solicitor£150. £1,000+Face-to-face consultation, custom clauses for complex estates. Each update costs extra.
Online Will service£49.95Guided questionnaire, professional document, 1 year unlimited updates. Quality rated 8.5/10.
Free Will kit£0 (or bait-and-switch)Inadequate document, no guidance, no validation, high risk of errors.
Most people do not need to create a Will through a solicitor. The situation, leaving everything to a spouse, with children as alternate beneficiaries, including trusts and guardians, is standard and does not require custom legal clauses crafted at £200+ per hour.
The three types of “free” Will kits
Type 1: The bait-and-switch
These services show “Free Will” as their main offer but you must pay to access your completed document for download and print. You might need to spend between 30 and 60 minutes answering questions before you find out that credit card information is required at the last stage. The service was never free. The company used its “free” claim to trick people into giving their time and personal information.
Type 2: The inadequate Word document
Some websites offer a downloadable Microsoft Word document as a “free Will template.”These documents contain dangerous oversimplified content which creates major security threats. The main issues consist of:
No alternate beneficiary provisions
No residual clause covering unlisted assets
No trust provisions for minor children
No guardian appointment clauses
No executor and trustee powers
The document contains unsuitable clauses which include body donation that belongs outside of a Will. The document contains unlawful actions which would let someone disinherit their spouse without any form of notification.
Type 3: The blank form
The worst category: a piece of paper with some headings and blank white space where you are expected to handwrite your Will from scratch. These provide no legal guidance, no structure, no validation, and no way to check that your Will covers all necessary provisions. The resulting document is almost guaranteed to be legally inadequate.
What does a proper Will actually include?
The following elements exist within a complete Will which LegalWills.co.uk provides:
All previously made Wills become void.
The document needs an Executor who will act as a substitute for the appointed Executor.
The document grants authority to Executors and Trustees which includes property sale rights and investment control and debt settlement responsibilities.
The document allows you to select guardians who will take care of your children until they reach adulthood.
The trust contains rules which protect beneficiaries who have not yet reached their 18th birthday (or any other age you decide).
The document needs to include my specific gifts and bequests which I want to give to particular people.
The document establishes a plan to divide all remaining estate assets between primary and backup beneficiaries.
The document needs to include appropriate legal terms which match the rules of your particular state.
Signing page with witness instructions
A free Will kit fails to create documents which reach this level of quality. The difference between a free template and a properly drafted Will is the difference between a scribbled note and a legal document that will stand up in probate court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are free Will kits legally valid?
A free Will kit can produce a legally valid Will if the document is correctly signed and witnessed. The legal content of this document remains insufficient at all times. The document lacks important sections which will result in major issues during the probate process.
What is the cheapest way to write a good Will?
LegalWills.co.uk operates as an online Will service which delivers complete Will creation through professional drafting at £49.95. The service unites solicitor expertise with digital delivery which offers clients both cost savings and time-saving benefits.
Why do free Will services ask for credit card details?
Because they are not actually free. The “free” advertising strategy exists to draw people in while the company gathers their personal details. The actual service requires payment, which is only revealed after you have invested time completing the questionnaire.
Can I download a free Will template from the internet?
You can obtain it but you should not take it. Free templates exist as Word documents which contain basic information but fail to include essential legal statements. They provide no guidance, no validation, and no guarantee that the result will be legally adequate.
How many clauses should a proper Will have?
A well-drafted Will typically includes 20 or more clauses and spans at least 5 pages. A married individual who has children needs to include several essential elements in their Will which include executor appointments and guardian designations and trust arrangements and particular gift allocations and the distribution of remaining estate assets. Any document shorter than this is almost certainly missing essential content.
He has over 20 years of experience helping people to write their Will and other estate planning documents. He has been interviewed by many of the major news media outlets and has contributed to articles in most leading publications. He has also contributed to a number of financial planning books.
Throughout his career, Tim has written extensively on the subject of Will writing and estate planning.
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