A Post Office Will kit costs around £10 to £30 and lets you write your own Will. For some people, that’s totally fine. For others, it’s a false economy that could put their wishes at risk or cost their family thousands later down the line.
What’s included in a Post Office Will kit?
A Will kit is a printed template for you to fill in: who gets what, who you trust to look after your children, and who you want as your executor. Most come with basic instructions and an example to follow.
You can pick them up from Post Offices, stationery shops, and online retailers. They’re cheap, and for a straightforward situation, they can do the job.
Are Post Office Will kits any good?
If your wishes are simple, a DIY kit might be enough. That means:
- You’re married or in a civil partnership and want everything to go to your partner, then to your children.
- You don’t own property jointly with anyone other than your spouse or civil partner.
- You don’t have a business, a need for trusts, or assets abroad.
- There are no blended families, stepchildren, or estranged relatives to consider.
- There are no risks of future claims or contentious issues.
Is my situation simple enough for a DIY Will?
DIY Will kits are designed to create a basic Will. The problem is, how can you know if your situation requires something more?
You might not realise that owning a property as tenants in common is different from owning it as joint tenants. Or that remarrying has automatic consequences for an existing Will. Or that your pension and life insurance might not be covered by your Will at all.
A basic DIY kit can’t ask you those questions or identify complicated circumstances. If something’s been missed, your family finds out after you’ve gone, and by then there’s no one to put it right.
What are the common mistakes when making a Post Office Will?
Is a Post Office Will kit legal? Yes, if it’s signed and witnessed correctly. The signing is the easy part.
The problems come from everything the kit doesn’t do. A properly drafted Will and the right estate plan around it come from understanding your circumstances first. A basic template gives you the document and skips everything that should come before it.
Take property ownership. If you own your home as tenants in common rather than joint tenants, your Will may not control what happens to it. A kit can’t look into how your property is held.
Blended families, stepchildren, estranged relatives, or children from previous relationships all create situations where a basic Will isn’t enough. Without advice, your assets could end up with the wrong people, or bypass the people you actually wanted to protect.
Under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, spouses, children, and financial dependants can challenge your estate if they believe they haven’t been provided for. A professional can identify and help reduce that risk.
Some assets aren’t covered by a Will at all. Pensions, life insurance, and jointly held accounts pass outside your estate through nomination forms or survivorship. If you haven’t checked, your Will might not do what you think it does.
What happens if there are mistakes in a DIY Will?
A poorly drafted Will can lead to legal disputes and costs that eat into what your family receives. Probate typically costs around 2% to 4% of the estate’s value. With the average UK property now worth around £270,000, that’s thousands of pounds before any dispute even starts. Contested Wills cost far more.
In 2024, there were 11,362 applications to block probate in England and Wales, a 56% increase on 2019, according to Freedom of Information data from HM Courts & Tribunals Service. An estimated 10,000 people now contest a Will every year.
A cheap Will kit that leads to even modest legal complications will cost your family far more than a professional Will would have.
What happens if a DIY Will is invalid?
If your Will is invalid, it’s treated as though it doesn’t exist, and your estate will follow the intestacy rules instead. Your spouse or civil partner may receive a share, but it’s not necessarily everything. If you’re not married, your partner could receive nothing at all, regardless of how long you’ve been together.
The intestacy rules don’t account for stepchildren, close friends, or charities. The law decides for you, and it rarely matches what people would have chosen.
The same applies if your Will can’t be found. A DIY Will in a kitchen drawer for 20 years might get lost or never discovered. If your family can’t locate it after you die, it’s as good as not having one.
How much does a professional Will cost?
If a DIY kit doesn’t feel right for your situation, you could go to a solicitor, though costs vary and it’s not always easy to know what you’ll pay upfront.
Or you could use a specialist Will writing firm. That’s what we do at ELM Legal Services. Our Wills start from £125, and you can have yours written online or through a home visit.
Either way, a legal expert handles the drafting, talks you through your options, and checks everything before it’s finalised.
Not sure? Talk to us
If you’re not sure whether a DIY Will kit is right for you, or you have questions, get in touch or call us on 0117 952 0698. No pressure.