Free Wills Service
If you want to write or update your Will, then you can do so at no cost thanks to the RNLI’s free Wills service. The schemes are intended for RNLI supporters and their partners. You don’t have to include a gift to the RNLI as part of the Will writing service, but we do hope you’ll consider supporting our work, after you’ve provided for your loved ones.
If you do decide to leave a gift in your Will to the RNLI, you will be helping us to continue our lifesaving work. 6 out of 10 lifeboat launches are funded by gifts in Wills. So if you do leave a gift, large or small, to the RNLI, you will be helping us save lives.
Here's how it works
There are two ways you can write or update your Will with the RNLI: face-to-face with a solicitor, or online using our partner Bequeathed.
Write your Will face-to-face with a solicitor:
- To qualify for this free Wills service, you or your partner must be 55 or over.
- If you would like to visit a solicitor, please fill in this form and tick the Free Wills Services box.
- Our partner, the National Free Wills Network, will send you the names and addresses of at least two local firms of solicitors. We pay the National Free Wills Network a special rate for a local solicitor to write a simple Will and there is no cost to you.
- However, if your Will is more complicated you may be asked to pay an additional cost. This will be agreed between you and the solicitor beforehand, so you won’t suddenly face an unexpected bill.
If you are 18 or older, you can write your Will for free online:
- You can write your Will online by using our partner Bequeathed. That way you can begin writing your Will at a time that best suits you.
- The RNLI pays an annual fee to Bequeathed, so that you can write or update your Will for free.
- To begin, visit Bequeathed’s website and follow the instructions.
- To start with, there’s an online interview to work out what you need from your Will. If you have any questions, there is plenty of help available throughout the process. Once the process is complete, the system will generate your free Will. Then, all you have to do is download it and follow the instructions so that you can have it witnessed.
- If you need any legal advice, you can ask Bequeathed to refer you to one of their solicitor firms. You will be able to arrange a face-to-face meeting for a fee.
- If you are based in the Republic of Ireland or Scotland, we will refer you to the National Free Wills Network to write your Will.
Fill in this form and tick the free Wills services box to Contact our Gifts in Wills Team.
Why is it important to make a Will?
A Will ensures your wishes will be carried out exactly as you want. If you do not have a valid Will your estate may be distributed according to intestacy rules and this may not be what you had in mind.
If you live with a partner you’re not married to, even if you have children together, you cannot inherit anything from their estate, and they cannot inherit anything from yours, unless you make your wishes known in a Will.
If you die without a Will, your estate will go to your blood relatives, and nothing to your partner. Our Free Wills Service is a good way to protect someone you love. If your circumstances change, you can also update your Will for free. This is sometimes referred to as a ‘codicil to Will’. Your solicitor will explain all the steps you need to take to ensure your Will is updated correctly and legally compliant.
A lot of people include a gift in their Will to the RNLI while they are using this service. You don’t have to, but we do hope you’ll consider it. Remember, any gift, large or small, will help the RNLI save lives at sea.