Will Writer — Fern Wills & LPAs Last verified: 18 September 2025 (England & Wales)
Quick-read summary
In the 1990s a man famously tried to rob a bank after rubbing lemon juice on his face, convinced it would make him invisible to CCTV. It didn’t. The story has since been used to illustrate the Dunning–Kruger effect — when people who lack expertise overestimate their competence.The same trap turns up in Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs). People write documents themselves, or rely on a friend or relative who “did theirs,” and assume everything’s fine. But you can’t truly test a Will until you die, and you can’t fully test an LPA until you lack capacity — by which time it’s too late to fix problems. The practical, safe alternative is a professional review — our Wills MOT or LPA Servicing — before anyone ever needs to rely on the document.After all, you don’t want everything you are (your LPAs) and everything you own (your Will) to rely on a document that turns out to be a lemon.
You or a family member wrote the Will or LPA with no legal review.
You used a cheap online template or shop packet.
Witnessing, signing order or capacity is uncertain.
You copied clauses from someone else’s Will.
You haven’t updated your Will/LPA since family, property or health circumstances changed.
You’re assuming “my sister did it and it’s fine” or “my friend witnessed it” is enough.
What to consider
The lemon-juice problem
The robber thought lemon juice made him invisible to CCTV. On paper it sounded plausible, but reality was different. DIY legal documents can be the same: they look fine, but don’t stand up when tested in court or registration.
You can’t reliably self-test — but you can have it tested
You can’t “try out” a Will by living longer, and you can’t simulate incapacity to test an LPA. The sensible step is a Wills MOT or LPA Servicing — a professional check-up that tells you if your documents will work and why.
Where DIY commonly fails
Witnesses not signing correctly.
Beneficiaries accidentally disinherited if they die before you.
LPAs rejected at registration due to errors in the certificate provider or signing process.
Property ownership not matching what the Will tries to do.
How this works in real life
Case 1 — The “helpful” sibling Mrs A asked her brother to help with her Will because “he did ours.” It looked fine — until the family discovered the property was owned jointly in a way the Will couldn’t change. Result: months of delay and legal cost. A Wills MOT would have spotted it immediately. Case 2 — The LPA that stalled Mr B’s DIY LPA was rejected because sections weren’t signed properly. The family were powerless for weeks. An LPA Servicing check would have prevented that at minimal cost.
FAQs
Q: I used an online Will template — is that going to be fine? A: It depends. If you’re single, rent, and have no children, a basic template may cover the minimum. But most people have more going on:
Married or in a partnership
Own a home
Have children or stepchildren
Want different outcomes if beneficiaries die in a certain order
An online Will simply cannot cover all these scenarios. A thorough fact-find with a professional takes at least an hour. If you wrote yours in 15 minutes, something’s already missing. Q: My sister says she “tested” hers and it was fine — why isn’t that enough? A: Because unless her Will has actually gone through probate, she hasn’t tested anything. The “acid test” happens only when the document is needed. A Wills MOT gives you a real pre-test while you’re still here to correct it. Q: Can a Will be fixed after it’s signed? A: Sometimes, but often it’s cleaner and safer to start again. Codicils or patched-up documents create confusion. Q: How about LPAs? Can they be corrected later if there are mistakes? A: Registration delays are common with DIY LPAs, and some are refused outright. Our LPA Servicing makes sure your document is registered and ready before it’s needed. Q: What are the most common mistakes with LPAs? A: We’ve listed them here: 50 most common mistakes with LPAs. They show how easy it is to get things wrong, even with the best intentions.
Optional technical notes (for those who want the detail…)
Witnessing: For a Will to be valid in England & Wales, the testator must sign (or acknowledge) in the presence of two witnesses who also sign in the testator’s presence. Witnesses cannot be beneficiaries (or their spouses).
LPAs: Must be correctly signed in sequence and registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. Any gap can cause rejection.
Joint property: The way a property is owned (joint tenants vs tenants in common) can overrule a Will if misunderstood.
