{"id":1783,"date":"2025-09-04T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1783"},"modified":"2026-06-09T13:54:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T17:54:35","slug":"holographic-will","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/","title":{"rendered":"Holographic Will &#8211; clearing up some misconceptions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"Article\",\n  \"headline\": \"Holographic Will: Clearing Up Common Misconceptions\",\n  \"description\": \"A holographic Will is entirely handwritten. In England and Wales, it must still be witnessed by two people to be valid. Common misconceptions explained.\",\n  \"author\": {\n    \"@type\": \"Person\",\n    \"name\": \"Tim Hewson\"\n  },\n  \"publisher\": {\n    \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n    \"name\": \"LegalWills.co.uk\",\n    \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\"\n  },\n  \"datePublished\": \"2016-08-24\",\n  \"dateModified\": \"2025-09-04\"\n}<\/script>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is a holographic Will?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"A Will entirely written in the testator's own handwriting, dated, and signed. The word holographic means wholly written by hand.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Is a holographic Will valid in England and Wales?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"A handwritten Will is valid but must still be witnessed by two people. There is no exemption for handwritten Wills under the Wills Act 1837.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Can I write my Will on a napkin?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Technically yes, if properly signed and witnessed. But it would be vulnerable to challenge and is strongly discouraged.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Can a soldier make a Will without witnesses?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Yes. Under Section 11 of the Wills Act 1837, members of the armed forces on active service can make a privileged Will without witnesses.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Is a video Will valid in England and Wales?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"No. A Will must be in writing under the Wills Act 1837. A video recording cannot be used as a Will.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}<\/script>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n  \"speakable\": {\n    \"@type\": \"SpeakableSpecification\",\n    \"cssSelector\": [\n      \"article section:first-of-type div\",\n      \"article section h2\"\n    ]\n  }\n}<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Originally published: 24 August 2016 | Last updated: 4 September 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TL;DR: A holographic Will consists of a fully handwritten document which includes the testator&#8217;s signature and date. A holographic Will becomes invalid in England and Wales because it requires at least two witnesses to become legally binding. The witness requirement exists across various nations but certain countries operate without this need. The term \u201cholographic\u201d simply means handwritten; it has nothing to do with holograms or special technology. The law permits you to create a handwritten Will but you need proper witnesses to make it legally binding under English regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a holographic Will?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A holographic Will is a Will that is entirely written in the testator\u2019s own handwriting, dated, and signed by the testator. The word \u201cholographic\u201d comes from the Greek holos (whole) and graphos (written), meaning \u201cwholly written by hand.\u201d It has no connection to holograms or technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The testator needs to write every word of the document by hand for it to qualify as a genuine holographic Will. A Will that is typed or printed and then signed by hand fails to qualify as a holographic Will. It is simply a typed Will with a handwritten signature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is a holographic Will valid in England and Wales?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A handwritten Will becomes valid in England and Wales when two people witness the document. The Wills Act 1837 requires all Wills, whether handwritten, typed, or printed, to be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In writing (any form: handwritten, typed, or printed)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Signed by the testator (or someone directed by the testator)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Signed in the presence of two witnesses<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both witnesses must sign in the presence of the testator<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>English law requires all handwritten documents to follow the same rules which apply to typed documents. The laws of England and Wales differ from other countries because they do not accept holographic Wills which lack proper witnessing. A handwritten Will which does not have witnesses becomes invalid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is there so much confusion about holographic Wills?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The internet serves as the main platform through which false information spreads. People who search for information about handwritten Wills will find different rules which apply to US, Canadian, Indian, and Australian jurisdictions. Key sources of confusion:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"595\" height=\"632\" data-attachment-id=\"1762\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/free-will-kits\/free-kit-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Free-Kit-1.png?fit=595%2C632&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"595,632\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Free Kit\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Free-Kit-1.png?fit=595%2C632&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Free-Kit-1.png?resize=595%2C632&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Free Last Will and Testament\" class=\"wp-image-1762\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Free-Kit-1.png?w=595&amp;ssl=1 595w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Free-Kit-1.png?resize=282%2C300&amp;ssl=1 282w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 595px) 100vw, 595px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Jurisdiction<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Witnesses Required?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>England and WalesYes. 2 witnesses required for ALL Wills<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ScotlandYes. Since Requirements of Writing (Scotland) Act 1995<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many US statesNo. Holographic Wills valid without witnesses in ~26 states<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Canada (most provinces)No. Holographic Wills valid without witnesses<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>FranceNo. Testament olographe valid without witnesses<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Forum answers on sites like Quora and Reddit frequently mix up these jurisdictions, leading UK residents to believe they can create a valid Will simply by handwriting it, which is incorrect under English law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the difference between a handwritten Will and a holographic Will?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All holographic Wills are handwritten, but not all handwritten Wills are holographic. The distinction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holographic Will: The entire document is in the testator\u2019s handwriting. No typed or printed text whatsoever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Handwritten Will using a blank form: A pre-printed form with blank spaces filled in by hand is not holographic, because the form text is not in the testator\u2019s handwriting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In England and Wales, both types require witnesses to be valid. The holographic distinction only matters in jurisdictions that grant special status to fully handwritten Wills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the risks of a handwritten Will?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even when properly witnessed, handwritten Wills carry significant risks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Illegibility: Poor handwriting can create dangerous ambiguity about amounts, names, or instructions<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incomplete provisions: Without legal guidance, critical clauses are commonly omitted (executor powers, trusts, residual clause, guardian appointments)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Legal errors: Incorrect phrasing can render provisions unenforceable or create unintended consequences<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People tend to dispute handwritten Wills more often because they doubt if the person who made it had the mental ability to do so or if someone forced them to create it or if the document is authentic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Difficult to update: Will modifications need complete document replacement plus full re-execution for each alteration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the best alternative to a handwritten Will?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>LegalWills.co.uk offers online Will services which produce professional legal documents at the cost of \u00a349.95. The service provides complete support for all required sections while producing a user-friendly printed document and allows users to make unlimited document updates throughout one year. You need to sign in front of two witnesses because this process matches the legal requirements for any Will although the document contains more detailed information than you would find in a handwritten Will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I write my Will on a napkin?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>People can write their last Will on any material they want to use. The legal process for England and Wales needs two people to sign and witness the document. A Will which exists on a napkin becomes legally valid when it fulfills all legal requirements but people should avoid using this method because it leads to major difficulties when trying to prove its validity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does a holographic Will need to be dated?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>People do not have to include dates in their documents according to law but they should always add dates to their documents. The absence of a date makes it hard to determine which document holds the most recent power because numerous Will versions exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can a soldier make a Will without witnesses?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. Under Section 11 of the Wills Act 1837, members of the armed forces on active military service (and mariners at sea) can make a valid Will without witnesses. This is known as a \u201cprivileged Will\u201d and is the only exception to the two-witness rule in English law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is a video Will valid in England and Wales?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No. The Wills Act 1837 requires all Wills to exist as written documents. A video recording falls short of this requirement because it fails to meet the criteria which disqualify it from serving as a Will though it can serve as evidence for testator intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens if a handwritten Will has no witnesses?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In England and Wales, it is invalid. The estate would be distributed under the intestacy rules as if no Will existed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Originally published: 24 August 2016 | Last updated: 4 September 2025 TL;DR: A holographic Will consists of a fully handwritten document which includes the testator&#8217;s signature and date. A holographic Will becomes invalid in England and Wales because it requires at least two witnesses to become legally binding. The witness requirement exists across various nations [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[177],"tags":[75,186,148],"class_list":["post-1783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wills","tag-holographic-will-2","tag-myths","tag-wills"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>Holographic Will: Clearing Up Misconceptions (UK Law) | LegalWills<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is a holographic Will? In England and Wales, handwritten Wills must still be witnessed by two people. Common misconceptions about holographic Wills cleared up.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Holographic Will: Clearing Up Misconceptions (UK Law) | LegalWills\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What is a holographic Will? In England and Wales, handwritten Wills must still be witnessed by two people. Common misconceptions about holographic Wills cleared up.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The U.K. Legal Wills Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalwills\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-04T16:00:00+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-09T17:54:35+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Free-Kit-1.png\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tim Hewson\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@tim_hewson\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@LegalWills\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tim Hewson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/holographic-will\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/holographic-will\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Tim Hewson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ff6cc8cea57bac8084c75acd7436b18a\"},\"headline\":\"Holographic Will &#8211; clearing up some misconceptions\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-04T16:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-09T17:54:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/holographic-will\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1007,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/holographic-will\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/08\\\/Free-Kit-1.png\",\"keywords\":[\"holographic will\",\"myths\",\"wills\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Wills\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/holographic-will\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/holographic-will\\\/\",\"name\":\"Holographic Will: Clearing Up Misconceptions (UK Law) | LegalWills\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/holographic-will\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/holographic-will\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/08\\\/Free-Kit-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-04T16:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-09T17:54:35+00:00\",\"description\":\"What is a holographic Will? In England and Wales, handwritten Wills must still be witnessed by two people. Common misconceptions about holographic Wills cleared up.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/holographic-will\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/holographic-will\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/holographic-will\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/08\\\/Free-Kit-1.png?fit=595%2C632&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/08\\\/Free-Kit-1.png?fit=595%2C632&ssl=1\",\"width\":595,\"height\":632,\"caption\":\"Free Last Will and Testament\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/holographic-will\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Holographic Will &#8211; clearing up some misconceptions\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"U.K. Legal Wills\",\"description\":\"Demystifying the Last Will and Testament\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"U.K. Legal Wills\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/LW_Primary-UK-Colour.png?fit=300%2C63&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/LW_Primary-UK-Colour.png?fit=300%2C63&ssl=1\",\"width\":300,\"height\":63,\"caption\":\"U.K. Legal Wills\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/legalwills\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/LegalWills\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ff6cc8cea57bac8084c75acd7436b18a\",\"name\":\"Tim Hewson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5f633a1cec1e653ab6f74034d00e5c0dfeda4bbbbf1e2e735c707bc2c5298316?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5f633a1cec1e653ab6f74034d00e5c0dfeda4bbbbf1e2e735c707bc2c5298316?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5f633a1cec1e653ab6f74034d00e5c0dfeda4bbbbf1e2e735c707bc2c5298316?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Tim Hewson\"},\"description\":\"Tim Hewson is one of the founders of LegalWills.co.uk. 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.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/timhewson\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/tim_hewson\"]}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Holographic Will: Clearing Up Misconceptions (UK Law) | LegalWills","description":"What is a holographic Will? In England and Wales, handwritten Wills must still be witnessed by two people. Common misconceptions about holographic Wills cleared up.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"http:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Holographic Will: Clearing Up Misconceptions (UK Law) | LegalWills","og_description":"What is a holographic Will? In England and Wales, handwritten Wills must still be witnessed by two people. Common misconceptions about holographic Wills cleared up.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/","og_site_name":"The U.K. Legal Wills Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalwills","article_published_time":"2025-09-04T16:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-09T17:54:35+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Free-Kit-1.png","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Tim Hewson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@tim_hewson","twitter_site":"@LegalWills","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Tim Hewson","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/"},"author":{"name":"Tim Hewson","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ff6cc8cea57bac8084c75acd7436b18a"},"headline":"Holographic Will &#8211; clearing up some misconceptions","datePublished":"2025-09-04T16:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-09T17:54:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/"},"wordCount":1007,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Free-Kit-1.png","keywords":["holographic will","myths","wills"],"articleSection":["Wills"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/","url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/","name":"Holographic Will: Clearing Up Misconceptions (UK Law) | LegalWills","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Free-Kit-1.png","datePublished":"2025-09-04T16:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-09T17:54:35+00:00","description":"What is a holographic Will? In England and Wales, handwritten Wills must still be witnessed by two people. Common misconceptions about holographic Wills cleared up.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Free-Kit-1.png?fit=595%2C632&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Free-Kit-1.png?fit=595%2C632&ssl=1","width":595,"height":632,"caption":"Free Last Will and Testament"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/holographic-will\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Holographic Will &#8211; clearing up some misconceptions"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/","name":"U.K. Legal Wills","description":"Demystifying the Last Will and Testament","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/#organization","name":"U.K. Legal Wills","url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/LW_Primary-UK-Colour.png?fit=300%2C63&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/LW_Primary-UK-Colour.png?fit=300%2C63&ssl=1","width":300,"height":63,"caption":"U.K. Legal Wills"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalwills","https:\/\/x.com\/LegalWills"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ff6cc8cea57bac8084c75acd7436b18a","name":"Tim Hewson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5f633a1cec1e653ab6f74034d00e5c0dfeda4bbbbf1e2e735c707bc2c5298316?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5f633a1cec1e653ab6f74034d00e5c0dfeda4bbbbf1e2e735c707bc2c5298316?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5f633a1cec1e653ab6f74034d00e5c0dfeda4bbbbf1e2e735c707bc2c5298316?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Tim Hewson"},"description":"Tim Hewson is one of the founders of LegalWills.co.uk. 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.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/timhewson","https:\/\/x.com\/tim_hewson"]}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8JY8F-sL","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2514,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/signing-your-will\/","url_meta":{"origin":1783,"position":0},"title":"Signing your Will &#8211; how the recent law change can help you finally write your Will.","author":"Tim Hewson","date":"February 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Originally published: 26 July 2020 | Last updated: 12 February 2026 TL;DR: The Wills Act 1837 requires testators to sign their wills while two witnesses observe the process and then sign the document themselves. The COVID-19 pandemic brought a temporary legal change which allowed people to witness documents through video\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Signing&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Signing","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/category\/signing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/147011562_s-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/147011562_s-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/147011562_s-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/147011562_s-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2528,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-write-a-will-without-leaving-your-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":1783,"position":1},"title":"How to write a Will without leaving your home &#8211; is it possible?","author":"Tim Hewson","date":"February 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Originally published: 19 February 2021 | Last updated: 19 February 2026 TL;DR. Writing a Will From Home You have the ability to create a legal Will document which lets you stay in your house. The LegalWills.co.uk interactive website lets you build your Will through an online system which completes the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/163338530_s.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/163338530_s.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/163338530_s.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/163338530_s.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2101,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/mirror-will\/","url_meta":{"origin":1783,"position":2},"title":"The Mirror Will explained &#8211; What is it? and how do you make one?","author":"Tim Hewson","date":"November 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Originally published: 7 February 2018 | Last updated: 13 November 2025 TL;DR: A Mirror Will is two separate Wills created by a couple (spouses or partners) that name each other as the primary beneficiary, with matching backup plans if both partners die together. Mirror Wills function independently from joint Wills\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Wills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Wills","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/category\/wills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"New Mirror Will","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/mirror-will-data.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/mirror-will-data.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/mirror-will-data.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/mirror-will-data.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2247,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/codicil\/","url_meta":{"origin":1783,"position":3},"title":"What is a Codicil to a Will- and why it is never the solution that you need.","author":"Tim Hewson","date":"December 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Originally published: 5 April 2019 | Last updated: 4 December 2025 TL;DR: A codicil functions as a separate document which joins to Your existing Will to show which particular section of your Will needs updating. The use of codicils helped people who wrote their Wills by hand or used typewriters\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Wills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Wills","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/category\/wills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Executor.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Executor.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Executor.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Executor.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Executor.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1363,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/new-home-blog\/","url_meta":{"origin":1783,"position":4},"title":"New home for our blog","author":"Tim Hewson","date":"May 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Originally published: September 18, 2014 | Last updated: April 14, 2025 Originally published: September 18, 2014 | Last updated: 1 May 2025 The LegalWills.co.uk estate planning blog moved from legalwills.wordpress.com to its permanent home at legalwills.co.uk\/blog. We have operated online Will writing services for UK residents since 2003 while using\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1722,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/write-your-own-will\/","url_meta":{"origin":1783,"position":5},"title":"Want to write your own Will? 10 things to look out for.","author":"Tim Hewson","date":"August 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Originally published: 21 July 2016 | Last updated: 21 August 2025 The process of creating your own Will exists but you need to stay away from ten essential errors which threaten your estate. The Legal Services Board conducted a mystery shopper test which revealed that 25% of Wills created by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Wills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Wills","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/category\/wills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Executor Handbook","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/LifeLocker.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/LifeLocker.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/LifeLocker.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/LifeLocker.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1783"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3164,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783\/revisions\/3164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}