AI tools are everywhere right now. They can write emails, summarise documents, draft contracts and answer legal questions in seconds. It’s only natural that people are starting to wonder: could AI write my will?
The honest answer is that it probably could produce something. But there’s a significant difference between a document that looks like a will and one that actually does what you want it to, legally, clearly, and without putting your loved ones in a difficult position when you’re no longer here to explain yourself.
A will is one of the most personal documents you’ll ever sign
No two families are the same. Whether you’re married with grown children, in a blended family with step-kids, estranged from a sibling, or looking after a vulnerable adult, your will needs to reflect your actual life, not a generalised template.
AI tools work by producing text based on patterns from large amounts of existing content. They cannot ask you about the tensions in your family, the property you co-own with someone, or the fact that one of your beneficiaries might need the money to be managed on their behalf. That nuance matters enormously when it comes to making sure your wishes are carried out the way you intend.
It can’t spot the problems you don’t know about
One of the most important roles of a wills solicitor is not just to record your instructions, but to ask the right questions and highlight issues you may not have considered.
There are situations where seemingly straightforward wishes can run into serious problems:
- Leaving everything to your spouse may not protect your children from a future remarriage
- Gifts to a beneficiary who later predeceases you can fall away unless the will accounts for this
- Property held as joint tenants passes automatically outside the will — many people don’t realise this
- Inheritance Tax thresholds and reliefs can significantly affect how much of your estate actually reaches your beneficiaries
A solicitor will raise these issues with you and explain your options. AI won’t, it doesn’t know what it doesn’t know about your situation.
Errors often only surface after you’ve passed
This is the hardest part of relying on an AI-generated will: the mistakes usually aren’t discovered until it’s too late to fix them.
Problems can include unclear or contradictory wording, gifts that fail because they’ve been described incorrectly, and execution errors, such as issues with how the will was signed or witnessed, that could leave the document invalid altogether.
At that point, the cost to your estate of untangling the problem through the courts can far exceed what it would have cost to have the will drafted properly in the first place. Worse, it can leave your family in conflict at an already difficult time.
There are safeguards that only a Solicitor can provide
When a solicitor helps you make a will, they do more than put words on paper. They assess your capacity to make a will, check for any signs of pressure or undue influence, and keep detailed records that can be vital if the will is ever challenged.
If someone later questions whether you were of sound mind or suggests you were pressured into certain decisions, a solicitor’s attendance notes and process provide important protection. An AI tool has no way to provide any of this.
Testamentary capacity, the legal ability to make a valid will, is something solicitors are trained to assess. It matters far more than most people realise.
How Dudden Law can help
At Dudden Law, making a will is a conversation, not a form-filling exercise. Based in Cardiff and serving clients across South Wales, our team takes time to understand your wishes, your family situation, and anything that might need careful handling.
We’ll make sure your will is legally valid, clearly expressed, and built around your actual circumstances, not a generic template. We can also advise on Lasting Powers of Attorney, inheritance tax planning, and anything else that’s relevant to protecting your estate and the people you care about.
If you’re thinking about making or updating a will, our team is here to help. We offer a free first consultation so you can talk through your situation and understand your options, with no obligation.
Based in Cardiff and serving clients across South Wales and the UK, we’re ready to support you. Get in touch today. Call us on 02921 320 150 or email info@duddenlaw.co.uk.
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Insights from Carrieanne Greenway, Dudden Law Solicitors