Write It Right: Why DIY Wills Could Cost Your Family

Think writing your own will is good enough? Many people do. It feels personal, straightforward, and even empowering to take matters into your own hands. But the reality is, one small mistake in a DIY will can create years of stress for the people you care about most.

Wills aren’t just pieces of paper that reflect your wishes. They’re legal documents, and the law takes them very seriously. If yours doesn’t follow the correct rules, or if it leaves things unclear, the outcome might be the opposite of what you intended. The worst part? You won’t be around to explain yourself.

So, before you put pen to paper or hit print, it’s worth understanding what’s actually at stake.

A valid will isn’t always a simple will

When people think of a will, they often picture a basic list. Name your belongings. Choose who gets what. Sign it. Done.

But wills are only valid when they meet very specific legal requirements. That includes how they’re written, who witnesses them, how they’re signed, and whether you were considered mentally capable at the time. If you miss just one requirement, the entire document can be ruled invalid. That means the law steps in and distributes your estate based on a default formula, not what you wrote down.

You might think the intentions are clear. But in law, intentions don’t count for much if the paperwork doesn’t hold up.

Vague wording can open the door to disputes

It’s not just about ticking legal boxes. The way your will is worded matters too. People often use unclear or overly broad language without realising how it could be interpreted later. That’s where problems start.

Take this example: someone leaves “my home” to a child. That sounds fine. But what if the property is jointly owned? Or mortgaged? Or sold before they pass away? Without more detail, it’s not always obvious what “my home” even refers to.

Or say you leave “everything to my children” without naming them. If you have stepchildren or estranged children, or if someone passes before you do, things can get messy. Courts might have to step in to decide what counts, and who qualifies.

Disagreements like these don’t just cause delays. They create long-lasting conflict between family members, and sometimes result in expensive legal battles. That’s why it makes sense to team up with the best will lawyers Canberra has to offer so you can have peace of mind knowing that your loved ones won’t end up locked in a legal dispute.

Many DIY wills ignore the unexpected

The biggest flaw in most DIY wills is what they leave out. It’s not hard to write down who gets the car or the jewellery. What’s harder is planning for situations that might not seem likely now, but could easily happen in the future.

What if a beneficiary dies before you do? What if your chosen executor can’t or won’t take on the role? What happens to assets you forgot to mention? A strong will includes backup plans and clear instructions for all of these. A DIY will often doesn’t.

This is where things fall apart. When the unexpected happens, and your will has no guidance, courts and lawyers get involved. That means more time, more costs, and more confusion for your family.

Complex family structures create real risks

Not all families are simple. In fact, most aren’t. Second marriages, stepchildren, long-term partners, estranged siblings – these situations are common, and they add complexity to estate planning.

If your will doesn’t clearly explain who should get what, or if it leaves someone out who believes they had a rightful claim, there’s a high chance they’ll challenge it. And they might succeed. Even worse, vague or outdated language might mean someone inherits more than you meant them to, while someone else misses out entirely.

A DIY approach often fails to consider the legal standing of stepchildren, de facto partners, or previous spouses. These aren’t just technicalities; they’re the difference between a smooth process and a major court case.

Executors aren’t always the right choice

Many people pick an executor based on trust alone. That’s important, but it’s not the only thing that matters. Being an executor is a legal responsibility, not just a symbolic one. It involves managing money, dealing with paperwork, paying debts, and making sure everything is done by the book.

DIY wills often name someone without checking if they’re legally eligible or capable of handling the role. Sometimes, the person lives overseas, or has no clue what’s involved. Other times, it’s someone who doesn’t get along with the rest of the family. That combination leads to delays, disputes, and sometimes even litigation.

Wills need to keep up with life

Even if your DIY will was perfectly valid when you wrote it, things change. Marriages, divorces, children, deaths, asset changes… all of these affect how your estate should be managed.

People often forget to update their wills after big life changes. That can lead to parts of the will being ignored, misunderstood, or cancelled altogether. For example, in some places, getting married after writing a will can revoke it entirely, unless it includes a specific clause to keep it valid.

When a will no longer reflects your actual life, it doesn’t just lose value. It creates legal confusion. That means more work and more cost for your loved ones.

It costs more to fix a bad will than to do it right the first time

Many people go the DIY route to save money. But those savings disappear the moment something goes wrong. If your will is challenged or unclear, your family may need to spend thousands sorting it out. They might need to hire lawyers, go through court proceedings, or spend months trying to untangle your estate.

And while that’s happening, the people you wanted to protect are left waiting. They might not have access to funds, or they might be caught in the middle of family arguments they never asked for.

The cost of a bad will isn’t just financial. It’s emotional. It turns grief into stress and puts your loved ones through even more hardship at the worst possible time.

Make it easy for the people who matter most

A will is meant to make things easier when you’re no longer here. It should give your family clarity, not questions. Confidence, not conflict.

Doing it yourself might seem like a practical option, especially if your situation feels simple. But the truth is, most people don’t realise the legal and emotional weight that a will carries until something goes wrong. And by then, it’s out of your hands.

If you want to make life easier for the people you care about, the best thing you can do is make sure your wishes are written clearly, legally, and completely. A proper will isn’t just a document. It’s a final act of care.