How to Sign Your Will Correctly — and What Happens After

You've made all the decisions, agreed the wording, and your Will is ready. The final step — signing — seems straightforward. But more wills are invalidated by errors at this stage than at any other point in the process. Getting the execution right is not a formality: it is the moment your Will becomes legally binding.

The Rules for Signing Your Will

In England and Wales, a Will must be executed in a specific way to be legally valid under the Wills Act 1837. Three people are involved: you (the testator) and two independent witnesses.

Your role as testator

You must be present throughout the entire signing process. Write the date and then sign using your usual signature — the same signature you would use on any other legal document. The date can be written in full or in abbreviated form (e.g. 15 May 2026 or 15/05/2026). You do not need to add any other personal details, as you are already identified by your address at the beginning of the Will.

The witnesses

Both witnesses must be physically present with you as you sign. They are confirming two things: that the signature is yours, and that you signed of your own free will, in sound mind and without pressure from anyone else. They do not need to read the Will — any other clauses can be covered if you prefer.

Your witnesses should also not be related to you if at all possible. Both must be aged 18 or over and should be UK residents. Once you have signed, each witness adds their own signature. While not strictly required in England and Wales, it is good practice for witnesses to also print their full name and address — this can help verify the Will if it is ever questioned.

The order matters

You must sign first, in the presence of both witnesses simultaneously. The witnesses then each sign, in your presence. Signing in any other order — for example, a witness signing before you, or witnesses signing at separate times or in separate rooms — can render the Will invalid.

Amending Your Will

Once a Will is signed, any amendment must be treated as carefully as the original. Do not write on your signed Will. Unmarked changes or annotations after signing are not legally binding and may raise doubts about the rest of the document.

If you need to make a minor change, a codicil — a formal addendum — can be added, signed and witnessed with the same formality as the Will itself. For more significant changes, it is usually better to write a new Will entirely, which automatically revokes the previous one.

Where to Keep Your Will

After signing, store your Will somewhere secure, accessible to your executor, and separate from your other documents. Your executor needs to be able to retrieve it promptly after your death — a Will locked in a safe they cannot access, or stored somewhere only you knew about, causes real problems.

Options include storing it with your Will writer, a solicitor, or at a bank. Wherever it is kept, tell your executor exactly where to find it. The original document is what matters — a photocopy is not sufficient for probate.

What Your Executor Does Next

An executor's role begins the moment you die. It is an administrative role that can take anywhere from several months to over a year, depending on the complexity of the estate. If you're choosing an executor, they should understand what the role involves — and agree to it.

The executor's duties fall into two phases.

Initial duties

1. Register the death and obtain multiple certified copies of the death certificate — banks, insurers, pension providers, and other institutions will each require an original copy before releasing funds.
2. Arrange the funeral. The cost is the first expense paid from the estate. Check whether a prepaid funeral plan exists and locate the relevant documents.
3. Apply for a Grant of Probate via the Probate Registry. This is the legal authority to administer the estate.
4. Open a Personal Representative's bank account to receive estate funds, pay debts, and manage the distribution process.
5. Notify all relevant organisations — banks, building societies, HMRC, pension providers, insurers, the local authority, benefit agencies, and any others holding assets or owing obligations to the deceased.
6. Value the estate. This includes the property, contents, investments, life policies, and all other assets. A full schedule must be drawn up.
7. List all outstanding debts — mortgage, credit cards, loans, utility bills, and any taxes owed.
8. Complete the HMRC Inheritance Tax return to establish whether Inheritance Tax is due and, if so, how much.
9. Submit the probate application with the original Will, death certificate, and HMRC return.

Subsequent duties

Once the Grant of Probate is received, the executor can collect and distribute the assets. If Inheritance Tax is due, it must be paid before probate is issued — in some cases, part of the estate may need to be sold to raise the funds, or a loan arranged. Banks can sometimes facilitate bridging arrangements for this purpose.

After distributing the estate, the executor must prepare and sign full accounts showing who received what. These accounts — together with the Grant of Probate and all related paperwork — must be stored safely for 12 years.

The Duties of a Guardian

If you have named a guardian for your children, they should understand what they're agreeing to before you finalise your Will. On the death of both parents, the guardian becomes legally responsible for the children's welfare and upbringing until each child reaches 18.

The guardian's role is to continue the children's upbringing in keeping with the parents' wishes where possible — and to act in the children's best interests in all decisions about their education, health, and daily life. Funds from the estate (or a trust you have established) will be made available to the guardian to cover the costs of the children's care, managed alongside the executor or trustee.

• If you name two guardians jointly, they must agree on whose home the children will live in and the long-term arrangements
• If appointed by a married couple, the guardian's role usually only begins after both parents have died
• If you are divorced or separated with a residence order in your favour, your named guardian acts jointly with the surviving parent — any dispute is settled by a court
• Unmarried fathers who have not acquired parental responsibility cannot appoint a guardian, and will not automatically become the guardian of their children on the mother's death

For more on choosing the right guardian, see our full guide on naming guardians in your will.