Will templates in New Zealand: free options, kits and the legal risks
Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.
A will template can be a valid will in New Zealand if it is in writing, signed by you and witnessed by at least two people who are together when you sign, as section 11 of the Wills Act 2007 requires. The usual failure is unclear wording, not the form. Public Trust's senior solicitor says a very unclear DIY will "can be like not having a will at all".
A will template is a ready-made document with blanks for your name, your executor, your gifts and your guardians, which you complete and sign yourself. It costs little or nothing, which is why people use it. The law treats it exactly like any other will: it works if it meets the signing and witnessing rules and if a court and your executor can tell what you meant. It fails if a witness was missing, if a gift was left to someone who witnessed it, or if the wording is vague enough that two people read it two ways. If it fails, the estate may be dealt with under the intestacy rules, as if you had left no will (see dying without a will), or the family may need the High Court to sort it out. This guide covers the free and cheap options, the legal checklist, and the point where a template stops being enough.
Free and cheap ways to make a will
There is no single free official template that suits everyone, and this page does not offer a downloadable blank form. A form that is safe depends on your family, your property and how you want it divided. These are the routes and what they cost, with the source and date for each figure.
| Route | What it costs | What you get | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuoteHub's free will | No extra cost, but only with a QuoteHub policy and for as long as you have cover | A basic will that page says is drafted by NZ lawyers; see that page for terms | QuoteHub free will page |
| Bookstore or online DIY kit | Public Trust refers to kits "for $20 or less" | Generic wording you fill in; no advice | Public Trust, DIY will kits |
| Public Trust online will | "Start at $69" as at 2 October 2025, in three price tiers | A guided online will, a free update each year, optional expert review | Public Trust |
| Public Trust signing appointment | $68 per will | An in-centre signing appointment with a Public Trust expert | Public Trust, will pricing |
| Lawyer-drafted will | From $750 for one person and $1,250 for a couple (complexity 1, excluding GST) | Drafted to your situation; $1,500 and $2,750 at complexity 2 | PK Law, retrieved 20 October 2026 |
Public Trust's page for the online tiers carries the 2 October 2025 date, and its current pricing page lists only the signing fee, so check the live price before you rely on the $69. Lawyers' prices vary by firm; PK Law's list is one example, and it also quotes $2,500 for a single will at complexity 3.
What the law requires
The rules are short, and getting them wrong is the commonest way a home-made will fails. They apply to every will, whether it came from a template, a website or a lawyer.
| Requirement | What the Wills Act 2007 says |
|---|---|
| Age | You must be 18 or over, with narrow exceptions for people who are married, in a civil union or de facto relationship, or in some other listed situations (ss9-10) |
| In writing | The will must be a written document. The Act does not say it must be typed |
| Signed | You sign it, or someone else signs at your direction in your presence |
| Two witnesses | At least two witnesses must be present together when you sign or acknowledge your signature |
| Witnesses sign | Each witness signs in your presence |
(Wills Act 2007, section 11, as at 28 October 2021, retrieved 20 October 2026.)
Two details catch people. First, a gift to a witness, or to a witness's spouse or partner, is void unless an exception applies, such as at least two other unconnected witnesses, or the High Court being satisfied you knew and approved of the gift (section 13). Second, the Act does not ban your executor from witnessing (section 12), so there is no general "independent witness" rule in law. Public Trust's own service does require independent witnesses who are not beneficiaries or related to one, which is a sensible habit to copy: two adult friends or neighbours who gain nothing from the will.
Later events can undo or change a will too. Marriage or a civil union revokes a will unless it was made in contemplation of that marriage (section 18). After a dissolution or separation order, gifts and appointments to the former partner are void unless the will shows otherwise (section 19). Check a template will you made years ago against these.
Where templates go wrong
Public Trust's solicitor says DIY templates are "probably adequate for basic estates", and that the problem is "the clarity of the content written and provided by the will owner". Four failures account for most trouble.
- Unclear wording. "My house to the children" does not say what happens if one child has died, or whether stepchildren count. Public Trust says an ambiguous will "can be more easily contested" and that administration becomes "far more difficult and time-consuming".
- Execution mistakes. One witness, witnesses signing on different days, or a will signed by you but never witnessed does not meet section 11.
- A gift to a witness. Section 13 voids it, which defeats the point of the gift.
- Out-of-date or foreign wording. A kit written for another country, or a will made before a marriage, separation or new child, may not do what you think. A lawyer should review anything that crosses borders.
Public Trust also notes that many DIY kits lack a "statement of wishes", a short explanation for loved ones of why you made your choices. It is not a legal requirement, but families often value it.
If the will is wrong: validation and cost
The High Court has a safety valve in section 14 of the Act. It can validate an informal document that expresses your testamentary intentions, even if it did not follow section 11. That is a court application, not a plan. It takes time, it needs a lawyer, and the outcome is for a judge.
We found no published figure for what a section 14 application or a contested interpretation typically costs, so we do not quote one. For scale, the Ministry of Justice's probate application fee is $275 (as at 20 October 2026), and PK Law lists a complexity 1 probate application at $2,500 plus the filing fee, with letters of administration at $3,300 plus disbursements. Those are the costs of a normal, uncontested estate; a dispute adds to them. The least costly way to avoid a court application is to get the signing right the first time. The probate guide and executor guide explain the ordinary route.
Can a handwritten will be valid?
Yes. Section 11 requires a will to be in writing, and neither typed nor handwritten is specified. A clearly handwritten will, signed and witnessed by two people together, can be valid. The risk is the same as with any DIY will: unclear words. If a handwritten note is not witnessed, it may still be validated under section 14, but you should not plan on it.
How to sign a template will safely
- Decide who your executor is and ask them. Choose a replacement in case they cannot act.
- List your main assets and say exactly who gets what, including a backup beneficiary for each gift.
- Name a guardian for any children under 18.
- Check your own wording. Would a stranger read each gift the same way you do?
- Sign in front of two adult witnesses, with both present at the same time.
- Have each witness sign while you watch. Choose witnesses who are not beneficiaries.
- Keep the original where your executor can find it, and tell them where.
- Redo or update the will after a marriage, separation, new child or major change in assets. A short change can be made by a signed, witnessed codicil or a new will.
When a template is not enough
Public Trust says templates suit simple situations and that more complex estates, with "one or more properties, a large family or assets in trusts (or in different countries)", need clear legal wording. Add to that anyone who wants to exclude a person who could claim.
| Your situation | Template or online will | Pay for drafting |
|---|---|---|
| Single, one home, clear beneficiaries | Reasonable | Optional |
| More than one property | Yes | |
| Large or blended family | Yes | |
| A trust, or a testamentary trust for a young or vulnerable beneficiary | Yes (see testamentary trusts) | |
| Assets in another country | Yes | |
| Leaving out a spouse, child or other close person | Yes |
The last row matters because a will can be challenged. Under the Family Protection Act 1955 a spouse or partner, children, grandchildren, a maintained stepchild and, in some cases, parents can apply to the court if the will does not make adequate provision for their proper maintenance and support, and the time limit is 12 months from the grant of administration (Family Protection Act 1955, sections 3, 4 and 9). A relationship also affects what you can leave; see the Property (Relationships) Act guide and contesting a will.
A will does not move a life insurance policy
A will deals with your estate. Life insurance proceeds are estate property only if they are payable to the estate; who is paid depends on who owns the policy and the insurer's terms (Community Law). Check the policy as well as the will; the life insurance payout guide explains the usual cases.
If you want cover in place as well as a will, Momentum Life's Quick Life (guaranteed acceptance life cover, issued by Momentum Life Limited) takes ages 18 to 65, with no health questions at application. Pre-existing conditions and suicide are excluded for the first two years, and a healthy person can often get more cover for less through fully underwritten cover from a licensed adviser. Momentum's Funeral Insurance takes ages 40 to 75 and, in the first 24 months, pays only for accidental death (any other death in that window pays no benefit and the premiums are refunded); total premiums can end up larger than the benefit, and the benefit may not cover the whole funeral. Momentum Life is rated B (Fair) by A.M. Best (financial strength). Details are on the Quick Life and Funeral Cover pages.
QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner, and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy a Momentum policy; see how we are paid. Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). This page is general information, not legal advice. Back to the estate planning guides, and see making a will and online wills for the options compared.
Adviser's view
A template is better than no will, and for a single person with a simple estate it can be enough. The risk Public Trust's own solicitor points to is not that a template is illegal but that it is unclear: an ambiguous will is easier to contest and slower to administer, and a badly executed one can fail altogether. If you own property, have a large or blended family, use a trust or hold assets overseas, pay for drafting.
Compare life cover with a licensed NZ adviser · free, no obligation.
Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Will Template NZ: Free Options, Kits and Risks. www.quotehub.co.nz/guides/estate/will-template-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.
References
- New Zealand Legislation: Wills Act 2007
- New Zealand Legislation: Family Protection Act 1955
- Public Trust: DIY will kits, avoiding the traps and trip-ups
- Public Trust: Will pricing
- Ministry of Justice: Probate information and guidance
- PK Law: Pricing
- Community Law: Dealing with the deceased's property
- Momentum Life: Financial strength
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