Can I Print My Will at Home?

Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 sets out the formalities for a valid will in England and Wales: it must be in writing, signed by the testator (or by someone else in their presence and at their direction), with the intention that the signature gives effect to the will, and that signature must be made or acknowledged in the presence of two witnesses present at the same time, who then each sign in the presence of the testator.

Nothing in section 9 says anything about the physical production of the document. A will can be handwritten, typed, or printed from a computer, on any paper of reasonable quality, using any printer. The law is entirely focused on the signing and witnessing process, not the manufacturing process.

If you are printing a will produced through an online service, or one you have drafted yourself, check the file carefully on screen first for typos, missing clauses or formatting problems before you print, since correcting mistakes after signing means starting the signing process again.

Print on a decent quality standard printer using ordinary white A4 paper. There is no need for anything heavier or more formal. Check that all pages have printed clearly and in the right order, that nothing is cut off at the margins, and that any page numbering is consistent, since a will with obviously missing or disordered pages can raise questions later about whether it is complete.

It is sensible to print more than one copy while you are checking the document, but you should only sign one of them as your actual will. Signing multiple identical copies as originals can create confusion after your death about which is the real will, or even raise doubts about whether a later copy might have been intended to revoke an earlier one.

Keep any spare printed copies clearly unsigned, or mark them plainly as drafts or copies, and store your single signed original securely, letting your executor know where it is kept.

A common worry is that a will printed on a home inkjet printer looks less official than one produced by a solicitor on heavier paper, and that this somehow makes it less valid. It does not. Courts and probate registries are concerned with whether the document was validly signed and witnessed, not with its visual presentation.

That said, using reasonably durable paper and stable ink makes practical sense simply because the will may need to be kept safely for many years and should remain legible. Faded thermal paper or a document that smudges easily is best avoided for a document you want to last, but this is a practical point, not a legal one.

Once your will is printed, the crucial step is signing it correctly, in the presence of two witnesses who are both present at the same time and who are not beneficiaries or married to a beneficiary, and then having each witness sign in your presence. This is where the vast majority of home-made wills go wrong, not in how they were printed.

Take your time over the signing appointment, follow the signing instructions provided with your will carefully, and use the same pen throughout if practical. A correctly printed but incorrectly signed will is not valid, while a plainly printed but properly signed will is entirely valid.