23/10/2025
It’s all fun and games when your barista comes up with a misspelling of your name, but a mistake in the spelling of a name on a DIY Will isn’t as easy to laugh off.
Many things can invalidate a Will or cause issues, including:
Names being misspelt.
The Will not being properly witnessed – this is the most common mistake of all, but it will render the Will completely invalid.
The document was not validly signed by the testator.
Failing to draw up a new Will after a marriage- marriage automatically revokes any Will previously written, unless it specifically states that it is written in contemplation of marriage.
Failing to use the correct wording – generally, people creating DIY Wills do not use the legal wording required to ensure that the person’s instructions are binding.
Assets held abroad will cause issues since DIY Wills are not recognised abroad.
Family members living in your home that are not beneficiaries need to be correctly covered in the Will.
Where a person wants to disinherit a family member in their Will, they need to make sure they have followed the correct legal process, or this person can make a claim against the estate after the testator’s death and could be successful.
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