Wills, Trusts & Probate

Making or Amending a Will Solihull

Guiding you through the difficult process of making a Will with compassion, understanding and expert advice

Your Will decides who inherits your home, savings, business, as well as your final wishes for your funeral and who you want to look after your children if your die before they are grown up. It also decides who is trusted to sort everything out when you are no longer there to answer questions. Without one, that decision is taken out of your hands entirely and decided by a fixed set legal rules that may bear no resemblance to what you would have chosen. For many people in Solihull and across the West Midlands, putting this right feels like something to deal with later, until a birth, a marriage, or a bereavement brings it sharply into focus.

Making Or Amending A Will In Solihull

At Pearcelegal, we help individuals and families in England and Wales put a Will in place that actually reflects their wishes, or bring an existing one up to date. Some clients have never made a Will and want straightforward guidance on where to start. Others already have one, drafted years or even decades ago, that no longer matches their circumstances following a divorce, a new grandchild, or a change in the value of what they own. Either way, having someone experienced to talk it through makes the process far less daunting and ensures your wishes are correctly recorded.

We treat a Will as more than a legal formality. It is a chance to think carefully about who should benefit, who should be responsible for carrying out your wishes, and what should happen if the unexpected occurs. We talk you through the practical choices involved, including naming executors and guardians, dealing with jointly owned property, and providing for stepchildren or dependants who might otherwise be overlooked.

Having advised Solihull families for over 40 years, we understand how personal these decisions are. Many clients come to us because a friend or relative recommended their solicitor after years of good service, and we aim to justify that trust with every Will we prepare. We take the time to ask about your family situation properly, rather than working from a standard template that ignores the detail that actually matters to you.

You will deal directly with the solicitor handling your Will from your first phone call through to signing, so nothing gets lost between different points of contact. We explain each clause in plain English, flag anything that needs a decision from you, and make sure you understand exactly what you are signing before you sign it. If your circumstances change again in future, whether through remarriage, a new business, or simply a change of heart about a gift, you can come back to the same team who already knows your history.

Our Will drafting and review services

We support individuals, couples, and families across Solihull and the West Midlands with a full range of Will related services, including:

Drafting a new Will from scratch, including for first-time testators
Reviewing and updating an existing Will after a life event
Preparing mirror Wills for married couples and civil partners
Advising on gifts, legacies, and residuary estate planning
Appointing executors, guardians, and trustees correctly
Advising on the impact of marriage, divorce, and remarriage on an existing will
Storing your Will securely once it is signed
Advising on Will validity and the formal requirements under the Wills Act 1837

Many instructions begin with a conversation about what you actually want to achieve, rather than a form to fill in. We ask about your family, your assets, and anyone who depends on you, then explain the choices available in plain terms. Where your situation is straightforward, we keep the process quick and efficient. Where it is more complex, perhaps involving a business, a blended family, or overseas assets, we take the additional time needed to get the detail right.

For clients updating an existing will, we start by reviewing what is already in place and asking what has changed since it was signed. Marriage automatically revokes an earlier Will in most circumstances, and divorce removes a former spouse's entitlement to act as executor or receive most gifts, so these events in particular are worth checking against your current documents.

Why choose Pearcelegal?

Local families tell us they want a solicitor who takes time to understand their situation rather than rushing through a standard form. Pearcelegal has supported Solihull families with Wills and estate planning for over four decades, and many of our clients are the second or third generation of the same family to instruct us.
You work directly with the solicitor advising you, not a rotating team of case handlers. That continuity means fewer repeated conversations and a better understanding of what actually matters to your family when we draft your will.
We are accessible when you need us. Questions about a Will rarely arrive at a convenient time, so we aim to respond within 24 to 48 hours and explain things clearly the first time you ask, without unnecessary legal jargon.
Cost transparency matters to us. We agree fixed fees for most standard Wills before any work begins, so you know exactly what you are paying and there are no surprises on your final invoice.
Our roots in Solihull mean we understand the local community and the families within it. Supporting you to protect what you have built is part of the same commitment that has kept us here for more than 40 years.

You should review your Will after any significant life event, such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child or grandchild, or a substantial change in the value of your estate, and it is sensible to check it every few years even if nothing major has changed.

Get in touch

If you would like to put a Will in place for the first time, or review one that may no longer reflect your wishes, contact Pearcelegal on 0121 270 2700 today to arrange a free 30 minute consultation with a solicitor. You can also fill in our contact form.

Last reviewed: July 2026

For more information on our fees for this service please click here.

Frequently asked questions

Do you offer fixed fees for drafting a will?

Yes, for most standard Wills we agree a fixed fee before any work begins, so you know exactly what the process will cost from the outset. You can read more about our fees on our pricing page.

What should I do with my Will once it is signed?

Your signed Will should be stored somewhere safe and accessible, and your executors should know where to find it, since a Will that cannot be located after death can cause significant delay and difficulty for your family.

Can I appoint more than one executor?

Yes, you can appoint more than one executor to act together, and naming a substitute executor is good practice in case your first choice is unable or unwilling to act when the time comes.

What happens to a Will after a divorce?

Divorce does not revoke a Will automatically, but it does remove a former spouse's entitlement to act as executor or benefit under most gifts, so the rest of the Will takes effect as written, which can leave outcomes you never intended if the Will is not reviewed.

Can I write my own Will and have a solicitor check it afterwards?

Yes, a solicitor can review a Will you have already drafted, checking that it meets the formal legal requirements and that it actually achieves what you intended before it is relied upon.

How often should I review my will?

What makes a Will legally valid?

Under Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837, as amended, a Will is valid in England and Wales if it meets the following formal requirements:

- It must be in writing.

- It must be signed by the testator, or by another person in the testator's presence and at their direction.

- The testator's signature must appear to give effect to the Will.

- The signature must be made or acknowledged by the testator in the presence of two or more witnesses who are present at the same time.

- Each witness must either attest and sign the Will or acknowledge their signature in the presence of the testator, but not necessarily in the presence of the other witness. There is no requirement for the witnesses to know the contents of the Will or that it is a Will they are witnessing

Do I need a solicitor to write a Will?

There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to write a Will in England and Wales, but a solicitor drafted Will reduces the risk of formal errors, ambiguous wording, or a later dispute over what you actually meant, particularly if your family situation is not entirely straightforward.

Our specialists in Making or Amending a Will

Graham Pearce

Director and Head of Department for Conveyancing, Commercial and Charity

Expert advice for you Book a free consultation

The team at Pearcelegal will be delighted to discuss your legal matters and give you a no-obligation quote.