How to sign and witness your Will

Last verified: 8 October 2026 (England and Wales)

Your Will is ready. The next step is to sign it with two suitable witnesses so that your wishes are properly recorded. Set aside a quiet few minutes, bring everyone together and work through the signing instructions in order. 

For the straightforward in-person process below, you sign the original paper Will while both witnesses watch. Each witness then signs that same Will while you watch. All three of you stay together until the signing and witness details are complete. 

Read this guide before arranging the signing, then keep it beside you on the day. It is for a final Will that has already been prepared, and follows Fern’s usual signing pack. If your Will comes with special signing instructions, or anything is unclear, contact the person who prepared it before signing. 

Before you arrange the signing

 Read your final Will and make sure it records what you intend. The testator is the person making the Will. You must understand what you are signing and be acting freely. 

If you spot an error or want to change anything, contact Fern before signing. Do not cross out wording, add handwritten changes, use correction fluid or sign a draft or reference copy. 

If you cannot read, see or physically sign the Will, or there is a concern about understanding it or pressure from someone else, speak to Fern before the appointment. The signing arrangements may need to be adapted. 

Choose two suitable witnesses

For Fern’s usual process, choose two independent adults aged 18 or over who can see you sign and understand what witnessing involves. Friends, neighbours or colleagues can often help. 

• Do not use anyone who receives a gift under the Will, or that person’s spouse or civil partner. Doing so can cause the gift to fail.
• Follow Fern’s guidance by avoiding relatives of yours, or relatives of anyone named in the Will, whether related by blood, marriage or civil partnership.
• The two witnesses may be related to each other, provided both meet the checks above.

Tell them that the document is your Will and that they are witnessing your signature. They do not need to read your private wishes or know who inherits. 

Signing day

Have the final original Will, its signing instructions and a suitable ink pen ready. If Fern supplied a Remote Attestation Record, keep that separate form nearby too. Arrange the seating so everyone can clearly see the signing, with no screen or other obstruction.

1  Bring everyone together

You and both witnesses should be physically present before anyone signs. Explain that this is your Will, that you have read and approved it, and that you are signing it freely. Keep all three people together for the whole process below. 

2  Date and sign your Will

On the final signing page, enter the date in full, including the year, in the space provided. Use the actual date of signing. Sign in your usual way where the Will indicates, while both witnesses watch you make the signature. Both witnesses must be present at the same time when you sign. Do not sign in advance and take the Will to them separately under this guide. If you have already signed without both witnesses present, stop and ask Fern what to do next. 

3  Ask each witness to sign

Keep the same original Will on the table. Each witness signs in the appropriate witness space while you watch. Take turns, with the other witness remaining present too. 

Each witness then prints the details requested on the signing page, including their full name, address, occupation and telephone number where the form asks for it. Write clearly so they can be identified and contacted later. 

4  Check the completed signing page

Before anyone leaves, check that your signature and both witness signatures are in the right places, the date is complete, and the requested witness details are readable. If you notice a mistake, contact Fern for instructions rather than attempting a correction.

Keep the Will intact. Do not remove its existing staples or binding, add new staples or paperclips, or attach the separate attestation record to it. 

For Fern clients completing the attestation record

If Fern supplied a Remote Attestation Record, complete one record for each Will during the same appointment, with the same two witnesses. “Remote” here means signing away from Fern. You and your witnesses are still physically together. 

We ask you and your witnesses to complete and return this record so we have written confirmation that your Will has been signed and witnessed, together with the signing date and the witnesses’ details. This gives us a clear record on your file and helps us identify and contact the witnesses if questions about the signing arise later.

The record is separate from the Will. You and both witnesses must sign the Will itself as described above, as well as completing and signing the record. The record alone does not complete your Will. 

Enter the testator’s name and the Will reference number from the first page of the Will. Complete the date, signatures and witness details requested on the record. 

Email a clear photograph or scan showing the whole completed record to Chris@fernwills.com. Make sure every entry is readable. There is no need to post a duplicate. 

If you prefer to post the record, ordinary second-class post is usually sufficient. Please send it to Fern Wills & LPAs, 11 Wakefield Drive, Welford, Northamptonshire, NN6 6HN.

Chris is often out of the office visiting clients, so he may not be available to sign for a delivery or read the record until he returns. Please avoid Signed For or other services requiring a signature. First-class post is perfectly acceptable, but the extra cost may bring no practical benefit.

Follow the separate return or storage instructions for your original Will. The instructions for emailing or posting the record do not tell you where to send the original Will. 

Keep the original safe and easy to find

Keep the signed original safe and tell your executors where it is held and how it can be retrieved. Your executors are the people appointed in your Will to deal with your estate after your death. A photograph or scan is useful for reference, but keep the original. 

We strongly recommend professional, insured storage for your original Will, together with registration of its existence and location on the National Will Register, so it can be found when it is needed. Fern Wills & LPAs can arrange this for all Wills, whether prepared by us or elsewhere. Find out about our professional Will storage.

These are the questions that most often come up when arranging witnesses. 

Do my witnesses have to be solicitors

No. Suitable independent adults can witness an ordinary Will. The important points are choosing appropriate witnesses and following the signing process. 

Can an executor witness my Will

Being an executor does not itself prevent someone from witnessing. However, do not use an executor who receives a gift under the Will, or whose spouse or civil partner receives one. They must also meet Fern’s witness-selection guidance above. 

Can the same people witness both of our Wills

Yes, if they are suitable witnesses for each Will. Complete the full signing process for one Will, then repeat it for the other. For Fern clients, complete a separate attestation record for each Will where supplied. 

Can we sign by video call or electronically

No. Use the original paper Will, with you and both witnesses physically together and able to see the signing. The temporary COVID video-witnessing arrangements have ended.

Having difficulty finding witnesses

Fern Wills & LPAs can provide one or both of the two witnesses required for your Will, by arrangement where practical and appropriate. This service is also available for Wills prepared elsewhere. See our signing support service and current fees. 

Where we provide a witnessing-only service, our role covers the signing and witnessing process. It does not include reviewing the Will’s wording or advising whether its provisions meet your needs. 

This guide gives general information for an ordinary in-person Will signing in England and Wales. Particular circumstances may need different arrangements; correct signing is only one part of making a valid Will.