Getting a DIY Will Witnessed Correctly

Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 sets out four conditions that must all be met: the will must be in writing, you must sign it (or direct someone else to sign in your presence), your signature must be made or acknowledged in the presence of two witnesses who are both present at the same time, and those witnesses must then sign the will themselves, in your presence.

Notice that the witnesses do not need to read the will or know what is in it. They are simply confirming that they saw you sign, or saw you acknowledge a signature you had already made. Their role is procedural, not substantive, but it is exactly this procedural step that gives the document legal force.

Any adult of sound mind who is not a beneficiary, and not married to or in a civil partnership with a beneficiary, can act as a witness. Neighbours, colleagues and friends are all suitable, provided they have nothing to gain under the will and are able to see what is happening clearly.

If a beneficiary or their spouse acts as a witness, the will itself usually remains valid, but under section 15 of the Wills Act 1837 that beneficiary loses their gift. This is an easy mistake to make when family members act as witnesses for each other, and it can undo a carefully planned gift without anyone realising until it is too late. See our guide on who can witness a will for the full list of exclusions.

Because both witnesses must be present at the same time, plan a specific moment for signing rather than trying to catch people separately. Many people ask two neighbours, a couple of colleagues, or friends to come round together for ten minutes; it does not need to be a formal occasion.

If you are unwell or find it hard to arrange visitors, professional witnessing services exist, and some solicitors offer a paid witnessing appointment even where they did not draft the will. Whoever you choose, make sure they understand they are witnessing a signature, not endorsing the contents.

Get both witnesses in the same room as you. Sign and date the will yourself, making sure both witnesses can actually watch you do it. Then, without leaving the room or breaking the sequence, ask each witness to sign and print their name and address, while you and the other witness watch them do it.

Do not let either witness leave before both have signed, and do not sign the document again elsewhere afterwards for convenience; a re-signed page can create confusion about which version is valid. Our guide on how to sign a will walks through this process in more detail with a printable checklist.

A temporary law allowed video witnessing during the coronavirus pandemic, but that provision ended in January 2024 and is no longer available for wills made after that date. All witnessing now needs everyone physically present in the same room.

Even where video witnessing was permitted, it was widely seen as a fallback rather than best practice, since it is harder to be certain everyone could actually see the signing clearly. If in-person witnessing is genuinely impossible due to illness or isolation, take advice from a solicitor rather than improvising.

Once signed, check that both witnesses have printed their full names, addresses and the date next to their signatures, and that your own signature and date are complete. These details matter if the will is ever questioned later, since they help identify and, if necessary, contact the witnesses.

Store the signed will safely and tell your executor where it is. See our guide on where to store a will for options, and if you are ever unsure whether an existing DIY will was witnessed correctly, it is worth checking with a solicitor before relying on it rather than waiting until it is needed.