Planning your wills together can make an important conversation easier. You may want to provide for one another first, then leave what remains to your children or other loved ones. Mirror wills can record that shared intention, while giving each person a separate document and a voice in their own decisions.
What are mirror wills?
Mirror wills are two wills with corresponding provisions. For example, each partner might leave their estate to the other, with the same alternative beneficiaries if their partner dies first. They are not one joint document: each person makes, checks and signs their own will.
Your wishes do not have to match in every detail. One person might leave a particular item to a friend or make a charitable gift. The important point is to understand how each will works, both on its own and alongside your partner’s plans.
Decisions to discuss before you begin
Start with the people you want to benefit. Then consider who should inherit if your partner dies before you, who should act as executor and, if you have young children, whom you would wish to appoint as guardian. Talk through any gifts of money or personal belongings that matter to either of you.
Do not assume every asset passes under your will. Some jointly owned property may pass automatically to the surviving owner. A solicitor can help you understand how ownership arrangements fit with your intentions.
Can either person change their will?
Ordinary mirror wills do not bind either person to keep the same wishes forever. Each person can change their own will, and changing one document does not update the other. They should not be confused with a binding mutual-wills arrangement, which requires specialist advice.
This distinction matters if you want to provide for your partner while guaranteeing an eventual inheritance for children from a previous relationship. A straightforward gift to your partner may not achieve both aims. Discuss that situation with a solicitor before choosing your approach.
When is individual advice useful?
Seek advice where there are competing family claims, overseas assets, significant business or farming interests, tax concerns or a beneficiary needing ongoing support. Unmarried partners should also check their position: making similar wills does not give them the inheritance rights of spouses. Read our guide to inheritance planning for unmarried couples as a starting point.
Making your two wills online
Our Mirror Wills for Couples service costs €74.95 for two completed wills purchased together, saving €20.95 against two individual wills. With both people’s agreement, you prepare two drafts in one account. Each person answers the questions and reviews their own wishes; the software does not automatically copy answers between documents.
Both drafts are visible to the account holder. If you prefer separate private accounts, the individual €47.95 price applies. Each purchased will includes a printable PDF, signing guidance and 30 days of free updates, with name changes during the first seven days.
Finish by signing each will properly
Each person must have capacity to make a will and complete the signing formalities. Arrange two suitable witnesses to be present together when you sign or acknowledge your signature; each witness must then sign in your presence. Follow our signing and witnessing guide, keep the signed originals safe and tell your executors where to find them.
Sources and further reading
General information, not advice on your individual circumstances. Obtain personal legal or tax advice where needed.