Free Will Template (New Zealand)

A simple will template is a sensible starting point for many New Zealanders with straightforward affairs. This page links to a downloadable template, walks through the legal requirements under the Wills Act 2007, and explains the situations where a free template will not give you the protection you need.

Download free NZ will template

Our downloadable will template is available in PDF and editable Word format. It includes the standard clauses required for a basic NZ will — appointment of executor, distribution of residuary estate, guardianship of minor children, and funeral wishes — and signing pages laid out for a Wills Act 2007-compliant execution.

Before using it, read the rest of this page so you understand both the formalities you must follow and the situations where a template is not the right tool.

Download Will Template (PDF)

The template is provided as general information only. It is not legal advice. If your circumstances are anything other than straightforward, talk to a New Zealand lawyer before signing.

Wills Act 2007 requirements your template must meet

For a will to be valid in New Zealand, four core formalities must be observed. Missing any of these is the most common reason DIY wills fail.

1. You must be 18 or older and of sound mind. A person under 18 can only make a valid will if they are married, in a civil union or de facto relationship, or have High Court approval. "Sound mind" (testamentary capacity) means you understand what a will is, what assets you own, and who might reasonably expect to benefit.
2. The will must be in writing and signed at the end. Your signature must appear at the foot of the document. Anything written after your signature may be ignored. Initial every page in the bottom margin to discourage later substitution.
3. Two adult witnesses must be present at the same time. You sign in front of them, then both of them sign in front of you and each other. All three signatures must occur in one continuous signing session — witnesses cannot sign later.
4. Witnesses (and their spouses) cannot be beneficiaries. Section 13 of the Wills Act voids any gift to a witness or their spouse or civil union partner. The will itself remains valid, but the gift fails — and the asset falls into the residuary estate or is distributed under intestacy rules.

What a free template covers

A standard template is well-suited to simple estates with a clear distribution plan. It typically works well if all of the following apply:

• You have a single executor in mind (often a spouse, partner, or adult child)
• You want to leave everything to one person, or split it equally between named beneficiaries
• Your assets are limited to the family home, KiwiSaver, a bank account or two, and personal effects
• You do not have a business, farm, or commercial property
• There are no children from previous relationships, dependants with special needs, or beneficiaries with addiction or bankruptcy issues
• You have no assets overseas

If that describes your situation, a properly signed template will document your wishes and reduce the cost and delay your family faces in probate.

What a free template WON'T cover

Templates use general boilerplate. They cannot deal with the situations where most disputes and delays arise. A template will not adequately address any of the following:

• Testamentary trusts. Setting up a trust inside your will — for young children, vulnerable beneficiaries, or asset protection — needs trustee powers, distribution rules, and Trusts Act 2019 compliance built into the wording. Templates do not include these clauses.
• Blended families. Providing for a current partner and children from a previous relationship usually involves life-interest trusts or contracting out of relationship property rules. A template cannot strike that balance.
• Business assets. Shares in a trading company, partnership interests, or sole-trader assets often have buy-sell agreements, shareholder restrictions, or succession plans that must be coordinated with the will.
• Overseas assets. Property, investments, or bank accounts held in another country may require a separate will under that country's law. A NZ template can inadvertently revoke an overseas will or trigger double-probate.
• Complex contingencies. If your primary beneficiary dies before you, what then? If your executor declines to act, who is next? Templates rarely set out multi-level fallbacks.
• Contentious situations. If you expect a Family Protection Act 1955 claim from a child or de facto partner you have deliberately not provided for, you need a properly drafted will and a contemporaneous statement of reasons. A template offers no protection.

Common DIY will mistakes that void your will

These are the recurring problems New Zealand probate registrars and estate lawyers see in template wills:

1. Witnesses signed at different times. The Wills Act requires both witnesses to be present together. Posting the will around for signatures invalidates the execution.
2. A beneficiary acted as witness. Section 13 voids the gift to that witness or their spouse. Couples often make this mistake by asking adult children to witness.
3. The will was altered after signing. Crossing out a name and writing in another, or initialling a change after the signing ceremony, generally has no effect. The original wording stands.
4. Pages were not initialled or stapled correctly. Loose pages or removed staples invite challenges that the will was tampered with.
5. The will did not name a residuary beneficiary. If you list specific gifts but forget to say who gets "everything else", the residue is distributed under intestacy rules.
6. The will revoked an earlier will without replacing key gifts. The standard revocation clause cancels every prior will. If the new will does not deal with an asset, that asset falls into intestacy — not back into the old will.

When to use a lawyer instead

A lawyer-drafted will typically costs around $450 for an individual in New Zealand. The cost difference between a free template and a professionally drafted will is small compared with the cost of getting it wrong — a contested estate can run into tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and tie up assets for years.

Use a template if your estate is simple and you are confident about the execution formalities. Use a lawyer if you have a blended family, business interests, a testamentary trust, overseas assets, or you expect anyone to be unhappy with how your estate is divided.