Disclaimer
Last updated: 27 July 2026
Lasting Wills is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. This website gives you a self-help template to record your wishes. It is not a substitute for advice from a qualified solicitor, attorney, notary or licensed estate practitioner, and using it does not create a lawyer–client relationship.
1. What this service is
Lasting Wills is a free educational tool that helps you organise your wishes and produce a draft Will document. It exists to encourage people to think about, and record, what should happen to their family and belongings.
The document it produces is a starting point. It is intended to help you understand the decisions involved and to give you something concrete to take to a qualified professional.
2. What this service is not
- It is not legal advice, and it is not tailored to your personal circumstances.
- It is not tax, financial or investment advice, and it does not consider inheritance tax, estate duty or similar liabilities.
- It does not review, check, witness, register, store or execute your Will.
- It makes no guarantee that any document it produces will be valid, effective or enforceable in your jurisdiction.
3. A Will is only valid if signed correctly
In almost every country, a Will has no legal effect until it has been signed and witnessed exactly as the law requires. Printing a document from this website does not make it a Will.
Common requirements include signing in the physical presence of two independent adult witnesses, who then sign in your presence. Witnesses must usually not be beneficiaries under the Will, nor married to a beneficiary — if they are, the gift to that person can be lost entirely.
4. The law differs enormously between countries
Succession law varies between — and often within — countries. The notes shown in the app are general summaries and may be incomplete or out of date. In particular:
| Where | Why local advice matters |
|---|---|
| United States | Requirements are set state by state. Some states recognise handwritten Wills; many recommend a notarised self-proving affidavit. |
| Canada | Set province by province. Quebec follows civil law and normally uses a notarial or holograph Will. |
| United Kingdom & Ireland | Scotland and Northern Ireland differ from England & Wales. Spouses and children may have legal entitlements that override a Will. |
| India | Succession may be governed by Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Parsi personal law. Islamic law limits how much of an estate may be freely willed. |
| Middle East (UAE & GCC) | For Muslims, succession is generally governed by Sharia. Non-Muslims usually need to register a Will with the correct authority — for example the DIFC Wills Service or Abu Dhabi Judicial Department — for it to be enforced. |
| Australia & New Zealand | Each State/Territory has its own Act. Family-provision laws allow certain relatives to claim against an estate. |
| Elsewhere | Many civil-law countries apply forced heirship, reserving a fixed share of your estate for children or a spouse regardless of what your Will says. |
If you own assets in more than one country, or you live in a different country from where your assets are, you should take advice in each country involved.
5. When you should definitely see a professional
This tool is aimed at straightforward personal and family circumstances. Please take proper legal advice if any of the following apply:
- You own a business, a farm, or a share in a partnership
- You hold assets, property or pensions in more than one country
- You have a blended family, stepchildren, or a former spouse with potential claims
- You want to provide for someone who is disabled, vulnerable, or receiving means-tested support
- You want to create a trust, or leave assets to someone under 18 with conditions
- Your estate may be liable to inheritance tax or estate duty
- You expect your Will to be challenged, or you wish to leave out a close family member
- There is any question about your mental capacity, or you are under pressure from anyone
- You are not fluent in the language of the document, or cannot sign it yourself
6. Accuracy of the information you provide
The document produced reflects only what you type. We cannot verify names, relationships, addresses, percentages or the existence of assets. You are solely responsible for checking that everything is accurate, complete and says what you intend. Read the whole document carefully before signing it.
7. No warranty
This website and the documents it produces are provided "as is" and "as available", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that any legal information shown is current or correct.
8. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Lasting Wills and its creator accept no liability for any loss or damage of any kind arising from your use of this website or reliance on any document it produces — including, without limitation, an invalid or ineffective Will, an estate distributed contrary to your wishes, a lost gift, tax consequences, legal costs, disputes between beneficiaries, or any indirect or consequential loss.
Nothing in this disclaimer excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be excluded.
9. Keep your Will up to date
A Will can be affected or revoked by later life events. In many countries marriage automatically revokes an existing Will, and divorce can alter its effect. Review your Will after any marriage, civil partnership, divorce, birth, death, move to another country, or significant change in what you own.
10. Contact
Questions about this disclaimer can be sent to support@lastingwills.com.
In short: use Lasting Wills to work out and record what you want — then have it checked and properly signed. A few minutes with a qualified professional is the difference between a document and a Will.