I completely understand why people are drawn to free wills. Most people know they should have a will, but it is one of those jobs that gets pushed down the list. It feels uncomfortable, it feels boring, and because nobody really wants to think about dying, it often gets delayed for years.

So when something comes along that is free, quick and easy, it feels like the obvious answer. For straightforward situations, it can be a useful starting point. But a free will often focuses on producing the document. Good estate planning focuses on whether that document actually works for your wider situation. That is the difference.

Life rarely fits neatly into a template. You may have children from a previous relationship, a property in the UK while living overseas, offshore investments, pensions, life insurance, business interests, trusts, or assets in different countries. You may also have family circumstances that are perfectly normal in real life, but not so simple on paper.

This is where problems can creep in. A basic will may not properly consider how your assets are owned, where they are located, how they are taxed, or whether they even pass under the will in the first place. That last point is important. Not everything you own is necessarily controlled by your will. Pensions, life policies, jointly owned assets and certain trusts may be dealt with separately. So you can have a will that looks fine, but still leaves gaps.

A will is not just about who gets what. It can also affect the tax position of your estate. Inheritance tax, gifting rules, charitable gifts, trusts, overseas assets and how assets are owned can all make a difference.

For example, giving assets away during your lifetime does not always mean they are immediately outside your estate. Holding assets jointly can create different outcomes depending on how they are owned. Leaving money to charity can reduce inheritance tax in some situations. None of this needs to be overcomplicated, but it does need to be understood. The danger is not just having no will. The danger is having a will that gives you false comfort.

For expats, estate planning can be even more important. If you live in the Middle East, own UK property, have UK pensions, offshore investments, bank accounts in different countries, or may return to the UK one day, things need to be thought through properly.

Different countries have different rules. Different assets may be treated in different ways. Local succession laws, probate requirements and tax rules can all become relevant. A simple UK will may not automatically solve every problem. That does not mean you need complicated structures for the sake of it. It simply means your will should sit alongside your wider financial plan, not separately from it.

Another point many people do not realise is that will-writing is not generally a reserved legal activity in England and Wales. In simple terms, not every will is prepared by a regulated solicitor or law firm.

That does not automatically mean the will is poor, but it does mean the level of oversight, advice and protection can vary depending on who prepares it. With something this important, process matters. Someone should be taking proper instructions, understanding your family position, checking how assets are owned, asking the right questions and making sure your wishes are clear. A will should not just be a form with names typed into boxes.

The sad part is that if a will is unclear or poorly structured, you are not the one who has to deal with it. Your family are. And they are dealing with it at the worst possible time.

If your wishes are unclear, or if the document does not work as expected, it can lead to delays, disputes, extra legal costs and a lot of unnecessary stress. Most family disputes do not start because someone tried to create a problem. They start because something was not clear. Clarity is one of the greatest gifts you can leave behind.

A will should not be looked at in isolation. It should be reviewed alongside your pensions, investments, property, life insurance, trusts, business interests and tax position.

You should be asking whether it still reflects your family situation, whether your pensions and life policies have the right nominations, whether your assets are held in the right names, what happens if you die while living overseas, whether your family would know what to do, whether there may be an inheritance tax issue, and whether there are better ways to structure things now.

These are not just legal questions. They are financial planning questions. And this is where proper planning makes a real difference.