What to Do After Receiving Your Will

Your will has arrived. What now?

Once your will has been drafted and reviewed by a solicitor, we post it to you for signing. If you need it sooner, you can print it yourself from your Will Vault once you have finished your identity check. Sign only one copy. It is not valid until it has been properly signed and witnessed. This guide covers exactly what you need to do.

Step 1: Read it carefully

Before signing, read your will from start to finish. Check that:

• Your full legal name and address are correct
• The people you have named as beneficiaries, executors, and guardians are right
• The gifts and distributions match what you intended
• There are no typos or errors

If anything is wrong, do not sign it. Contact us and we will arrange a correction.

Step 2: Arrange your witnesses

To be valid under the Wills Act 1837, you must sign in the presence of two independent adult witnesses. Both witnesses must be aged 18 or over. They must each sign in your presence.

Who can be a witness?

Any adult who is not:

• A beneficiary named in the will
• The spouse or civil partner of a beneficiary

If a beneficiary or their spouse witnesses the will, that person's gift becomes void, so they lose their inheritance. The rest of the will remains valid, but this is an easily avoidable mistake.

Good choices for witnesses include neighbours, colleagues, or friends who are not mentioned in the will.

All three people must be present together

You and both witnesses must all be in the same room at the same time. You sign first, then each witness signs. Do not sign separately or at different times, as this can invalidate the will.

Step 3: Sign your will

• Sign using your usual signature at the bottom of the will, in the space provided
• Use a pen (not pencil)
• Both witnesses then sign in the spaces provided, and print their name and address
• Do not use correction fluid or cross anything out. If there is an error, contact us for a corrected version

Step 4: Store your will safely

Once signed, your will is a legal document. The signed original must be kept safe. If it cannot be found after your death, the court may presume you destroyed it intentionally.

Good storage options:

• At home: in a fireproof safe or strongbox, with your important documents
• With a solicitor: many firms offer will storage, sometimes for a small fee
• At a bank: a safe deposit box
• The National Will Register: a registration service that records where your will is stored, making it easier for your executors to find

Wherever you store it, make sure at least one person, ideally your executor, knows where to find it.

Step 5: Tell your executor

Your executor is the person responsible for carrying out your wishes after your death. Make sure they know:

• That you have made a will
• Where the signed original is stored
• That Fifty Six Law prepared it, and how to contact our team

You do not need to share the contents of your will with your executor. Give them enough information to find it when the time comes.

Step 6: Use your Will Vault

Your Will Vault in GetWill keeps a copy of your will and everything about it. It shows where the signed original is kept, your signing record and your review reminders. A copy is useful for reference, but only the signed original is valid. Your Will Vault can also print a short note for your executors saying where the original is.

When to update your will

Your will should be reviewed after any major life change:

• Marriage: marriage automatically revokes an existing will in England and Wales
• Divorce: your ex-spouse is treated as having died for the purposes of your will, which may not produce the result you want
• Children: you may want to add guardianship provisions or update distributions
• A death: if a beneficiary or executor dies, your will needs updating
• Buying or selling property: especially if your will makes specific gifts of property

You can log in to your GetWill account at any time to ask for changes. A change means a new will or a codicil, printed and signed on paper in front of two witnesses in the same way.