Your Will-Writing Checklist

Before you start

Having the right information to hand makes the will-writing process faster and smoother. Use this checklist to prepare everything you need before you sit down to write your will.

Your personal details

• Full legal name
• Date of birth
• Current address
• Marital status (married, civil partnership, single, divorced, widowed)

Your assets

Make a list of everything you own, including approximate values:

• Property — your home and any other real estate, including buy-to-let properties
• Bank accounts — current accounts, savings, ISAs, premium bonds
• Investments — stocks and shares, funds, bonds
• Pensions — note that most pensions are dealt with separately via a nomination form, not through your will
• Life insurance — check whether policies are written in trust (if so, they're outside your estate)
• Vehicles — cars, motorcycles, boats
• Valuables — jewellery, art, antiques, collections
• Digital assets — cryptocurrency, valuable online accounts
• Business interests — shares in companies, partnerships

Your debts

Note any outstanding debts, as these will need to be settled from your estate:

• Mortgage
• Loans and credit cards
• Outstanding tax

Your beneficiaries

Decide who you want to inherit from your estate:

• Specific gifts — who gets what (e.g. "My watch to my son James")
• Residuary estate — who gets everything else, and in what proportions
• Backup beneficiaries — who inherits if your first choice dies before you
• Charitable gifts — any legacies to charities (which can reduce inheritance tax)

For each beneficiary, you'll need their full name and relationship to you. For charities, have their registered charity number ready.

Your executors

Choose one or two people to carry out the instructions in your will:

• Their full name, address, and date of birth
• Confirmation they're willing to act
• A backup executor in case your first choice can't serve

See our guide on choosing an executor for more detail.

Guardians for children

If you have children under 18:

• Who would you want to raise them?
• Have you discussed this with your chosen guardians?
• Do you want to name a backup guardian?

Funeral wishes

While not legally binding, you may want to record:

• Burial or cremation preference
• Type of service (religious, humanist, celebration of life)
• Any specific songs, readings, or requests
• Whether you'd like to donate organs

Other considerations

• Trusts — do you want to set up a trust for children or vulnerable beneficiaries?
• Conditions — any conditions on gifts (e.g. age at which children inherit)?
• Pets — who will care for your animals?
• Overseas assets — property or investments abroad may need separate provision
• Existing will — if you have an older will, have it to hand so you can review it

You're ready

Once you've gathered this information, you're ready to write your will. The process itself is straightforward — it's the preparation that takes the most thought. With GetWill, you can complete your will online in about 15 minutes once you have everything prepared.