Once you have approved the final draft, your Will still needs printing, signing and witnessing before it takes effect. At A.D.E. Wills, every In-Person and Online Will includes a professionally printed Will, bound and posted to you ready to sign. This post explains what you receive with your printed Will and why printing and storage matter. It also explains what the law actually requires.
Does a Will have to be printed to be valid?
No. Under the law of England and Wales, a Will must be in writing and signed by you. Also, you must sign it and have it witnessed in the way set out in section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. A handwritten Will can be valid if it meets those requirements.
In practice, a printed Will is clearer. Handwriting can be hard to read, and unclear wording or later alterations can lead to questions about what you meant. A typed document prepared from a final approved draft gives your executors a clean, legible document to work from.
What you receive with your A.D.E. Wills package
Every In-Person and Online Will comes with:
- your Will printed on cream paper
- a hard plastic front cover and a card back cover
- spiral binding, so the pages stay together
- a step-by-step Signing Guide explaining how to sign and witness the Will correctly
- a complimentary pen to sign with
We post it to you once you have approved the final draft. There are no separate printing packages and no extra charge for printing. Instead, it is part of the fixed fee. You can see our prices on the Wills Pricing page.
Why the binding matters
When someone dies, their executors send the original Will to the Probate Registry. The Registry may see signs that someone separated the pages or once attached something. If so, it may ask for an explanation before accepting the Will. That can mean delay and extra paperwork for your executors.
Keeping your Will in one bound document helps avoid that. Once your Will arrives:
- leave the binding intact, even to make a photocopy
- do not attach anything to it with staples, paper clips or pins
- avoid writing on it after signing
- keep it flat and dry, somewhere safe
If you need a copy, photocopy the Will carefully without taking it apart.
Signing your printed Will
Your Signing Guide walks you through each step. In short, you must sign the Will, or acknowledge your signature, while two witnesses are both present. Each witness then signs in your presence. However, a witness should not be a beneficiary, or the spouse or civil partner of a beneficiary, because that person would lose their gift. Also, the witnesses must be physically present, as the law no longer permits video witnessing.
If you would prefer support, our Will Signing Service (£135) means we attend, conduct the signing and act as one witness. Alternatively, our Second Witness Service (£95) provides a second witness if you need one. Both have fixed fees, and we do not charge VAT.
Keeping your Will safe
After signing, keep the original somewhere secure where your executors can find it. Our Safe Will Plan includes fireproof storage of your original Will, a password-protected copy and an annual reminder to review it.
What if you need changes later?
Before we print your Will, you can ask for as many changes to the draft as you need, because the fee includes unlimited draft changes. Every In-Person and Online Will also comes with a personalised booklet explaining your draft Will clause by clause. So you can check it says what you intend before printing.
Once you have signed your Will, do not write changes on it. Instead, if your circumstances change, our Update service covers up to ten minor changes for a fixed fee. This costs £80 for a single Will or £135 for a couple, and we print and post the revised Will to you in the same way. However, bigger changes need a new Will. We do not charge VAT.
Questions about your Will?
If you have a question about your printed Will or the signing process, call us on 01865 507174 or email info@adewills.co.uk. You can find out more about how we prepare Wills on our Wills page.
