Requirements

There are basic requirements that must be in place to ensure that you make a valid will. It is possible to draw up a will yourself or you can hire a solicitor to help you. For a will to be legally valid, the following rules apply:

* The will must be in writing
* You must be over 18 or have been or be married
* You must be of sound mind
* You must sign or mark the will or acknowledge the signature or mark in the presence of two witnesses.
* Your two witnesses must sign the will in your presence
* Your two witnesses cannot be people who will gain from your will and they must be present with you at the same time for their attestation to be valid. The witnesses’ spouses also cannot gain from your will.
* Your witnesses must see you sign the will but they do not have to see what is written in it.
* The signature or mark must be at the end of the will.

These are legal requirements and if they any of them are not met, the will is not valid. If you want to change your will after you make it, you can add a codicil (amendment or change) to your will; this codicil must meet the same requirements set out above.