Originally published: October 7, 2014 | Last updated: May 5, 2025
Originally published: October 7, 2014 | Last updated: 22 May 2025
TL;DR: An online Will service provides better results than a DIY Will kit through all available evaluation criteria. The online platform offers users guided interviews which include built-in error checking and complete legal clauses and users can update their documents through a professional format. The entire process requires less money than most blank form kits cost. The blank spaces in a DIY Will kit create an environment which leads to mistakes and missing information that could make your Will completely invalid.
What Is the Difference Between an Online Will Service and a DIY Will Kit?
An online Will service guides you through an interactive interview, then generates a complete legal document based on your answers. You need to show your signature before two witnesses who will confirm your signature to validate your Last Will and Testament. There is no such thing as a purely “online Will”. The UK courts reject digital documents which people scan or keep on digital storage because these documents have no legal standing in probate cases.
A DIY Will kit is a blank form, typically purchased from Amazon or WHSmith for £10. £20, with pre-printed clauses and white spaces for you to handwrite your details. The CD included with some products lets you type your answers but the final output remains a basic template which does not adjust to your individual needs.
A genuine DIY Will Kit. Blank spaces invite errors
12 Reasons to Choose an Online Will Service Over a DIY Kit
1. Guided Step-by-Step Process
The online Will service provides users with step-by-step guidance which includes simple questions and detailed explanations to help them make all necessary choices. You receive a blank form from the DIY kit but you must understand what information to include in your writing. Most people have never written a Will before. Legal documents receive their official status from proper guidance which prevents people from making expensive errors.
2. Covers All Family Situations
The online services adapt their operations to match the needs which you currently face. The system creates documents which match your individual situation no matter what your relationship status is between being single or married or divorced or having a civil partnership or having a mixed family. The blank form kit exists as a single solution which fails to handle complex situations.
3. Comprehensive Legal Clauses
An online service which operates professionally needs to include vital clauses that most users overlook when creating their own documents. The kit fails to include several essential safety components which produces dangerous gaps in the system.
4. Built-In Error Checking
Online services prevent common errors automatically. The money distribution plan would give 20% to one child, 30% to another child, 35% to a third child, and 30% to a fourth child. The numbers add up to 115%. The online service system detects this problem right away. The blank form fails to do so. The absence of a residuary clause stands as a typical mistake which online services block but DIY kits allow to happen.
5. Easy to Correct Mistakes
You get only one chance to write everything perfectly when you use a handwritten blank form kit. The presence of spelling mistakes and crossed-out words together with corrections makes people doubt the document’s authenticity. Users can review their documents through an online service which enables them to make edits and produce new versions until they reach the final printed document.
6. Significantly Lower Cost
A complete online Will available at LegalWills.co.uk comes with a price tag of £49.95. The service costs less than most blank form kits while it stays well below the £500. £1,000+ fees which high-street solicitors demand. The online service provides users with guided interviews which include error detection and legal protection clauses and allows users to modify their Will whenever they want.
7. Available Any Time, Anywhere
An online Will service operates throughout the entire week with nonstop availability from midnight until midnight every day. You can work at your own pace, save your progress, and return later. The service operates without scheduled appointments or established work hours or designated spaces for waiting. The DIY kit forces users to finish their work right away because they need to keep their position on the document.
8. More Secure and Private
The online service stores your data through encryption which protects it from unauthorized access. A paper Will kit sits in your home where anyone can read it. LegalWills.co.uk provides keyholder services through their online platform which allows particular trusted individuals to access your documents during essential situations.
9. Complete Estate Planning
An online service typically offers more than just a Will. LegalWills.co.uk allows users to develop Power of Attorney and Living Will documents through their platform which serves as a full estate planning solution. The blank form kit provides users with access to the Will document but it does not offer any additional features.
10. Additional Digital Tools
Modern online services offer tools which exceed the capabilities of DIY kits because they provide LifeLocker asset documentation and secure message storage for family members and executor handbooks and digital vault services. The tools enable your executor to find your assets while they handle all financial matters which will exist after your death.
11. Easy Future Updates
Life changes, marriages, births, divorces, new assets, require Will updates. The online service enables users to access their accounts for document editing before they can print the updated version. The DIY kit requires users to buy a fresh kit for every update but this process creates legal difficulties which confuse regular people.
12. Professional Quality Document
The online service produces a legal document which appears like a professionally formatted document with clean typeset. A handwritten form filled with your handwriting looks unprofessional and may face greater scrutiny during probate. The way people first see things holds the same importance as their first impression when they enter legal spaces.
Online Will Service vs DIY Kit: Side-by-Side Comparison
FeatureOnline Will ServiceDIY Will Kit
| Feature | Online Will Service | DIY Will Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Guided process | Yes | No |
| Error checking | Automatic | None |
| Adapts to circumstances | Yes | No |
| Easy updates | Log in and edit | Buy new kit |
| Typical cost | £49.95 | £10–£20 |
| Estate planning tools | Included | None |
| Professional formatting | Yes | Handwritten |
The system provides direction through its process YesNo
The system performs automatic error detection None
The system functions properly under all environmental conditions No
Users can update their information by logging in to edit their details You must purchase a new kit to make any changes
Typical cost£49.95£10. £20
The service includes all necessary estate planning tools which users can access for free None
Professional formattingYesHandwritten
Write Your Will Online Today
A DIY Will kit appears to offer good value but its actual worth comes from its ability to create mistakes and missing information which makes your Will invalid. You can create a complete legally binding Will at LegalWills.co.uk through their 20-minute process which costs £49.95. The system contains built-in security measures which blank forms fail to provide.
What Is the Difference Between an Online Will Service and a DIY Will Kit?
An online Will service guides you through an interactive interview, then generates a complete legal document based on your answers. You print and sign it in the presence of two witnesses to create a legally valid Last Will and Testament. There is no such thing as a purely “online Will”. Any digitally stored or scanned document is not legally admissible to probate in the UK.
A DIY Will kit is a blank form, typically purchased from Amazon or WHSmith for £10–£20, with pre-printed clauses and white spaces for you to handwrite your details. Some include a CD for typing answers, but the result is fundamentally the same: a template that cannot adapt to your specific circumstances.
12 Reasons to Choose an Online Will Service Over a DIY Kit
1. Guided Step-by-Step Process
An online Will service walks you through every decision with clear questions and explanations. A DIY kit gives you a blank form and expects you to know what to write. Most people have never written a Will before. Guidance makes the difference between a valid document and a costly mistake.
2. Covers All Family Situations
Online services adapt to your circumstances. Whether you are single, married, divorced, in a civil partnership, or have a blended family, the generated document reflects your specific situation. A blank form kit is one-size-fits-all and cannot account for complexity.
3. Comprehensive Legal Clauses
A professionally built online service includes essential clauses that most people would never think to add: revocation of previous Wills, survivorship clauses, trust provisions for minor children, residuary estate distribution, and alternate appointments. A DIY kit typically omits several of these, leaving dangerous gaps.
4. Built-In Error Checking
Online services prevent common errors automatically. If you allocate 20% to one child, 30% to another, 35% to a third, and 30% to a fourth. That totals 115%. An online service catches this immediately. A blank form does not. Missing a residuary clause is another frequent error that online services prevent but DIY kits invite.
5. Easy to Correct Mistakes
With a handwritten blank form kit, you typically get one chance to write everything correctly. A spelling error, crossed-out word, or correction can raise questions about validity. An online service lets you review, edit, and regenerate your document as many times as needed before printing the final version.
6. Significantly Lower Cost
A comprehensive online Will at LegalWills.co.uk costs £49.95. Less than many blank form kits and a fraction of the £500–£1,000+ charged by high-street solicitors. The online service includes guided interviews, error checking, legal clauses, and the ability to update your Will at any time.
7. Available Any Time, Anywhere
An online Will service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can work at your own pace, save your progress, and return later. No appointments, no office hours, no waiting rooms. A DIY kit requires you to complete it in one sitting or risk losing your place on the form.
8. More Secure and Private
Your information on a reputable online service is encrypted and stored securely. A paper Will kit sits in your home where anyone can read it. Online services like LegalWills.co.uk also offer keyholder services that grant access to your documents to named trusted people only when needed.
9. Complete Estate Planning
An online service typically offers more than just a Will. At LegalWills.co.uk, you can also create a Power of Attorney and Living Will as part of a comprehensive estate plan. A blank form kit covers only the Will itself.
10. Additional Digital Tools
Modern online services include tools that DIY kits cannot match: asset documentation through LifeLocker, secure message storage for loved ones, executor handbooks, and digital vault services. These tools help your executor locate and manage your assets efficiently after your death.
11. Easy Future Updates
Life changes, marriages, births, divorces, new assets, require Will updates. With an online service, you log in, make changes, and print a new document. With a DIY kit, you must purchase a new kit or attempt a codicil, which can create confusion and legal challenges.
12. Professional Quality Document
An online service produces a cleanly typeset, professionally formatted legal document. A handwritten form filled with your handwriting looks unprofessional and may face greater scrutiny during probate. First impressions matter, even in legal proceedings.
Online Will Service vs DIY Kit: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Online Will Service | DIY Will Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Guided process | Yes | No |
| Error checking | Automatic | None |
| Adapts to circumstances | Yes | No |
| Easy updates | Log in and edit | Buy new kit |
| Typical cost | £49.95 | £10–£20 |
| Estate planning tools | Included | None |
| Professional formatting | Yes | Handwritten |
Write Your Will Online Today
A DIY Will kit may seem like a bargain, but the risks of errors, omissions, and invalid clauses far outweigh the small price difference. At LegalWills.co.uk, you can create a comprehensive, legally valid Will in about 20 minutes for just £49.95. With built-in safeguards that a blank form simply cannot provide.
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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