Get your will here, through Kiwilaw
...Use our free, unconventional (and legally valid) will form, or get a more conventional will for $69 incl GST
Kiwilaw's two wills...
One-page will form - FREE! - postage and handling $12
One-page will form, on sturdy card. (Originally printed in bulk for handing out at the March 2020 Waikato Show, which was then cancelled because of COVID-19. Now reprinted because of steady demand!)
We mail these to you for a small postage-and-handling charge ($12/order, with up to 12 forms in one order; or $20 for up to 5 forms to an overseas address). Enough for your whanau, workmates, or order 2 batches for your rugby team…
Use this to make a simple will, especially if you have no will OR you know your current will is out of date. Use it to give different items to different people, with backups, and appoint a testamentary guardian for your children.
Revise it later if you decide you need something more sophisticated.
It even includes a space to make simple changes, without needing a new will. (Any such changes must be fully signed and witnessed in the same way as for a new will.).
Conventional will - $69 incl GST
If you prefer something more conventional, use Kiwilaw’s $69 online option.
You complete an online interview.
It automatically produces a draft will in Word form. This uses the same type of wording and structure used by most New Zealand lawyers.
That draft will is sent automatically to us. (You cannot download it yourself.)
Cheryl (lawyer) checks that it makes sense and tweaks the formatting. (Note – Cheryl does NOT provide advice about who you should leave things to or how you should structure things. She does check that the will covers any specific property you have told her about, e.g. by separate email, or in ‘questions or comments’ at the end of the interview.)
Then we invoice you $69.
When paid, we email the will to you in Word and PDF. (We can courier it for an extra $20 for postage and handling.)
We tell you how the will must be signed and witnessed so as to be legally valid. You then arrange to do that yourself.
This will is not intended for complex situations such as amending a family trust or managing a business.
If something you want has not been covered in the online interview, you can add it in ‘Comments or Questions’ at the end.
Frequently asked questions.
How do I know what information I need, before I start?
Think about:
- who you want to give most of your property to
- what if they die first, or at the same time as you? who should inherit it then?
- who do you trust to implement what your will says – with legal assistance when necessary – and to take care of other loose ends such as paying any bills and sorting out any issues?
- do you want to give anything to charity?
- do you have any particular wishes for what happens to your body?
Check that any land or house is legally in your name. If it is co-owned, check the type of ownership.
See more information here: Plan your will.
I want to give something to my favourite charity. How do I find their correct legal name?
Ask them.
Or use this website: Find a Charity.
Can other members of my household witness my will?
Only if they are over 20, and not going to inherit anything under the will, and not the spouse/partner of someone who is going to inherit anything under the will.
Should I sign 2 or 3 copies of the will (with the witnesses), in case one gets lost?
No. If you sign 2 or 3 identical wills, they all have to be produced when your executor applies for probate. It makes everything more complicated.
Sign 1 will. Then make some photocopies. Get them signed by a JP as ‘certified copies’. Then put the original signed will somewhere safe. Tell your executor/s where it is. Give your executor/s the certified copies.
If the original will cannot be found, your executor/s can apply for probate of a lost will, using a certified copy. It’s a bit more complicated than applying for probate of the original will. However, it’s simpler than trying to keep track of more than 1 original.
What if I make a mistake or want to change something when I'm signing it?
If possible, it’s better to have a clean text, than to make any handwritten changes.
When your executor/s apply for probate, handwritten changes may need a separate affidavit from the witnesses to confirm those changes were made before everyone signed.
However, if you cannot immediately get another, clean original, make the handwritten correction and get it signed. It is better than nothing.
Get a clean one signed and witnessed as soon as possible and then destroy the earlier one.
Once my will is signed, can I scan it, save it online, and shred the paper original?
Please don’t. The High Court needs the original signed will. A scanned copy is only a copy. If the original has been destroyed, your executors will have to apply for ‘probate of a copy of a destroyed will’. That is more complicated.
Note also – an electronic will is not legally valid. If you sign an online will electronically – instead of printing it out and signing it physically on paper in front of two witnesses who also sign on paper – your executors will have to apply for an order to validate the electronic will, before they can apply for probate of the electronic will. So keep it simple, keep it paper.
It’s usually a good idea to provide an explanation, either in your will or in a separate document that is kept safely with your will.
In the end, it’s your will and your decision.
Once I've signed my will and had it witnessed, can I check it with you to make sure it's right?
For an additional fee, we can check for you:
- whether it has been signed and witnessed correctly
- whether it is consistent with the legal registered ownership of your home or other real estate
We do not check with you whether you have named all your children, or spelt names correctly, or done what you intended to do. If you give anyone sums of money, we do not check that your estate can afford this. We do not check that you actually own what your will gives to people. Nor do we check your mental capacity.
Spelling mistakes are easily fixed when your executors apply for probate.
Other errors could be a problem, especially if relationships within your family are poor. If you are at all unsure, or if your estate is significant, maybe use a Kiwilaw will as a starting point and then obtain further legal assistance from a local solicitor.
Why is this so cheap?
We use advanced document automation to save time. We pass those savings on to you. What used to take an hour or two can now be done (at our end) in a few minutes. You still have the same interview time but we don’t have to sit through it. We still draft the same document but the software does the drafting.
For most people, making a will shouldn’t be expensive. It shouldn’t cost $200-300 to get a basic will, or even more if you need to include Maori land or special gifts.
If you have commercial interests and lots of investments, you most likely have easy access to your own solicitor who can do the perfect will for you and charge a higher fee.
If you have a family, and Kiwisaver, you need a will – and you don’t want to spend half your weekly income on getting it. Kiwilaw is trying to meet that need.
