Originally published: November 11, 2015 | Last updated: February 12, 2026
TL;DR: ExpatLegalWills.com provides a step-by-step interactive service for creating a legally valid Will covering assets in the US, Canada, or UK ; from anywhere in the world. With 65% of adults in these countries lacking a Will, the barrier is often cost and complexity. This service costs $34.95 / £24.95, takes about 20 minutes, and produces a document identical in quality to one prepared by a lawyer. The 7-step process covers: jurisdiction selection, personal details, family status, executor appointment, asset distribution, alternate plans, and trusts for minors.
Why Do Expats Need a Specialized Will Service?
The estate planning process faces a major obstacle because 65% of adults in Canada and the UK and the US do not have a Will. Expatriates face an additional challenge which blocks their path to meet requirements because of this situation:
- People who have assets spread across different countries need to create separate Wills which follow the rules of each country’s legal system.
Businesses face high costs and complex operational challenges when they need to find suitable legal professionals across different national territories. The basic Will kits which people buy at stores fail to handle the complicated situations which arise when people have assets in different parts of the world. The process of traveling to every nation for updates becomes an impossible task because it lacks any practical sense. - Finding qualified legal professionals in each country is both expensive and logistically difficult
- Off-the-shelf Will kits cannot handle the complexity of multi-jurisdiction estates
- Travelling to each country for updates is simply not practical
How Does the ExpatLegalWills.com Service Work?
Step 1: Identify the location of your assets
Select whether you need a Will under the laws of Canada, the United States, or the UK (England and Wales). The service adapts to the specific laws of your chosen jurisdiction.
Step 2: Enter your details
You need to provide your name together with your current location and an active email address. The service needs these details to create your Will and to establish your account which will help you access future updates.
Step 3: Describe your family status
Your marital status together with your parental status regarding children (including those under 18 years old) will determine how your Will should be organized. The service requires users to establish trusts when they need to protect their children who have not yet reached adulthood.
Step 4: Name an executor
The executor will distribute your estate according to the instructions which you wrote in your Will. The executor needs to locate your Will for review purposes while they protect your property and they must inform all beneficiaries. The executor needs to get a Grant of Probate in the UK after they probate the Will and they must create an asset inventory with proper valuation. The executor will handle all debt payments and tax obligations before distributing the remaining property to beneficiaries. The executor needs to produce detailed financial statements which show all property management activities.
Step 5: Distribute your possessions
The service requires users to decide about charitable donations before it shows them different methods to distribute their assets which include giving everything to family members and assigning particular possessions to certain beneficiaries and splitting remaining property through exact percentage allocations and creating life interest trusts for families with children from different relationships.
Step 6: Create alternate plans
All properly written Wills need to include provisions which explain what will occur when specific situations arise including when your executor dies before you or when you and your main beneficiary die together or when a beneficiary becomes unable to receive their inheritance. ExpatLegalWills.com assists you through these emergency situations which appear in your life.
Step 7: Set up trusts for minor beneficiaries
A testamentary trust becomes necessary when any beneficiary fails to reach adulthood because it lets you decide when the beneficiary will get their inheritance and what expenses the funds should cover (for example, medical bills and school tuition). The law requires minors to receive their full inheritance when they reach the age of majority which usually occurs at 18 or 19 years old.
How Do You Make the Document Legally Binding?
Once you complete the service you can download your Will before printing it out. Then sign it in the presence of two adult witnesses who are not beneficiaries. A simple signature on the document fulfills all necessary requirements because it requires no legal professional involvement and no notary services. The signing requirements are the same across all US states, Canadian provinces, and England and Wales.
Key Takeaway
The entire process takes about 20–30 minutes. Your document becomes a legally binding Last Will and Testament when you complete the signing process under witness supervision. Store it in a safe place known and accessible to your executor. There is no Will registry for living individuals in any jurisdiction covered by this service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a lawyer to make my Will legal?
No. There is no legal requirement to use a lawyer, solicitor, or notary in any jurisdiction covered by ExpatLegalWills.com. The Will becomes legal when printed and signed in the presence of two witnesses.
Can I update my Will after creating it?
Yes. Log into your account at any time, make changes, download the updated document, print, and sign it again. Each new signed version supersedes the previous one.
What if I have assets in multiple countries?
Create a separate Will for each country. The ExpatLegalWills.com service creates Wills that deal exclusively with assets in one jurisdiction and are designed to work alongside Wills written elsewhere.
How much does the service cost?
The service costs $34.95 USD or £24.95 GBP. The standard Will through a lawyer costs more than $500 and expats need to add their travel expenses to this amount.
He has over 20 years of experience helping people to write their Will and other estate planning documents. He has been interviewed by many of the major news media outlets and has contributed to articles in most leading publications. He has also contributed to a number of financial planning books.
Throughout his career, Tim has written extensively on the subject of Will writing and estate planning.
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