Macmillan Free Will Service

You can write your will online with Co-op Legal Services, Farewill, Irwin Mitchell and Wilson Nesbitt. Once you register, you’ll be able to get started straight away by using the link on our registration page or your confirmation email. From there, you can fill out your instructions and our trusted will writing partners will handle the rest.

You can write your will via a home visit with The Goodwill Partnership, Octopus Legacy and Wilson Nesbitt. Once you register, we’ll pass on your details on to your chosen will writing partner who will call you within 1 week to arrange the best time to visit you. They will take your instructions when they visit you at home and then have your will written up before posting to you for signing.

You can write your will over a telephone call with Co-op Legal Services, Farewill, Irwin Mitchell, Jones Whyte and Wilson Nesbitt. Once you register, we’ll pass on your details or you can book your appointment directly with your chosen will writing partner. They will take down your instructions and have your will written up before sending the will to you for signing.

You can write your will over a video call with Irwin Mitchell, Jones Whyte and Wilson Nesbitt. Once you register, we’ll pass on your details or you can book your appointment directly with your chosen will writing partner. They will take down your instructions and have your will written up before sending the will to you for signing.

You can write your will through the post with Irwin Mitchell and Wilson Nesbitt. 

Once you register, we’ll pass on your details to your chosen partner and they’ll send you a postal will writing pack within 1 week (subject to postal delays). Simply fill out the forms and return them. Your chosen partner will then prepare the will and post it back to you for signing.

You can write your will in branch with Jones Whyte solicitors (in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverclyde) and Wilson Nesbitt solicitors (in Bangor and Belfast). Once you register, we’ll pass on your details to your chosen partner, who will call you within 1 week to arrange the appointment at their offices. During the appointment they will take down your instructions. Then they will write up your will and send it to you for signing.

Macmillan covers the cost of simple standard wills sold as part of the Macmillan Free Will Service. If your needs are complex, please read the 'What if my needs are complex and unsuitable for a standard will?' FAQ.

Gifts in wills fund a third of Macmillan’s vital services. Although there’s no obligation to leave a gift to use our Free Will Service, we hope you’ll consider leaving a percentage of your estate to Macmillan and help us do whatever it takes for people living with cancer.

For a will to be valid, there are certain conditions that must be met.

• The will must be made by a person who is 18 years old or over.
• Your will must be made voluntarily and without pressure from any other person.
• Your will must be on paper, a ‘soft’ copy on a computer is not valid.
• Your will must be signed by you with 2 witnesses present or 1 witness if you live in Scotland and the witnesses must also sign the will.
• Witnesses can be anyone over 18. They cannot be a beneficiary of your will (someone who receives money or other benefits as a result of your will), nor can they be the spouse or civil partner of a beneficiary of your will. Witnesses do not need to read your will or be aware of its contents.

More information on ensuring that your will is valid can be found on the Citizens Advice website.

Macmillan does not receive a copy of the will.

During the will writing process, you will be asked whether you are happy for your chosen partner to share certain information with Macmillan. This includes whether you have left Macmillan a gift in your will and the value of this gift. Having this information helps us to plan for a future where more people than ever are living with cancer.

Several of our partners offer will storage facilities and you may choose to store your will free of charge with Irwin Mitchell, Jones Whyte and Wilson Nesbitt.

If you need a will urgently, please contact your chosen partner as soon as possible to discuss the options available to you. Please note, The Goodwill Partnership cannot provide urgent wills.

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that any of our partners will be able to complete a will in exceptionally urgent circumstances. In these instances, we recommend you get in touch with a local solicitor through the Law Society (England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland).

Leaving a gift in your will to Macmillan is simple. Just include our charity name, address, and registered charity number (listed below). Then add a sentence like:

• “I leave 20% of my estate to Macmillan Cancer Support…”
• “I leave £5,000 to…”
• “I leave my collection of teddy bears to…”

If you choose a share of your estate, its value will automatically keep pace with inflation. If you choose a fixed cash gift, we’d be grateful if you would consider linking it to inflation so its value lasts into the future.