Yes, you can write your own will. There’s nothing legally to stop you from doing that. And, of course, many people do. But you need to understand that there are many ways this could go wrong.
A will, first of all, has specific legislative requirements in order to be valid and if your will fails to comply with these requirements, it could be a very expensive problem for your next of kin to resolve.
However, even if your will complies with the legislative requirements, there’s still specific wording and ways of effectively passing down assets that estate planning lawyers have been extensively trained in. Your average person on the street who hasn’t been trained in estate planning is just not going to know these things. So, you may write a will that you consider is clear as to what will happen when you die, but when you pass away, there could be a dispute because it hasn’t been worded properly, or something important has been left out.
When you compare how much a professional will usually costs with how much it could cost your estate if the will is not drafted properly, it is quite an insignificant expenditure to ensure that your wishes are properly carried out.
So yes, you can make your own will but our advice is you should always seek assistance from a specialist lawyer.
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