How much does a will cost in the UK?
A straightforward will from a solicitor costs £150 to £400. Here is what sits behind those numbers, and when paying more is genuinely worth it.
The short answer
- Single will from a solicitor or regulated will-writer: £150–£400.
- Mirror wills for a couple: £250–£600 for the pair.
- Online will service: from £90, often with a human check included.
- Will containing a trust: £500–£2,000.
- Free options exist — Free Wills Month, Will Aid, and some employee benefits and charity schemes.
What's on this page
A simple will from a solicitor or regulated will-writer in England & Wales typically costs £150 to £400. A pair of mirror wills for a couple usually runs £250 to £600. Online services start around £90, and wills containing a trust generally cost £500 to £2,000.
What each route costs, and what you get#
| Route | Typical cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| DIY kit or template | £10–£30 | A form and instructions. No advice, no check, no comeback if it fails. |
| Online will service | From £90 | Guided questions, a drafted will, usually a human review. Some offer telephone support and storage. |
| Solicitor / regulated will-writer | £150–£400 | A conversation about your circumstances, tailored drafting, professional indemnity insurance, and someone accountable. |
| Mirror wills (couple) | £250–£600 | Two near-identical wills prepared together — cheaper than two separate ones. |
| Will with a trust | £500–£2,000 | Advice on whether you need one, plus drafting of the trust provisions. |
| Complex estate (business, foreign property, tax planning) | £1,000+ | Usually charged hourly by a specialist, often STEP-qualified. |
The costs that are not in the headline price#
- Storage. Some firms store the original free, others charge an annual fee. Ask before signing.
- Updates. A small change may be a fixed fee; a rewrite is usually full price. Some services sell a subscription for unlimited updates — worth it only if your life is genuinely in flux.
- Professional executor clauses. This is the big one. If the will appoints the firm as executor, their fees come out of your estate later — sometimes a percentage of its value. On a £500,000 estate a 2% charge is £10,000. Ask directly whether the draft names them as executor, and say no if you do not want it.
- Trust registration and administration if the will creates a trust.
A cheap headline price with a professional executor clause buried in the draft is the most expensive will you can buy. The fee arrives years later, is paid by your family, and by then you are not around to object. Always ask: "Does this will appoint you or your firm as executor, and what would you charge?"
When cheap is fine#
Genuinely, plenty of the time. An online or low-cost will is reasonable if:
- You are single or married with no previous marriages;
- Everything goes to your partner, then split between your children;
- Your estate is comfortably inside the inheritance tax allowances;
- No beneficiary is under 18, disabled or vulnerable;
- You own no business, farmland or overseas property.
When paying more saves money#
- Second marriages and blended families. Leaving everything to a new spouse outright means their will decides where it ultimately goes. A life interest trust prevents that, and costs a fraction of the litigation it avoids.
- Care-fee planning. A property protection trust costing a few hundred pounds extra can ring-fence roughly half a home.
- Estates over the allowances. Getting the £175,000 residence nil-rate band right is worth up to 40% of it in tax.
- Likely challenges. Proper attendance notes and a capacity assessment are what defend a will in court.
How to get a will for free#
Several legitimate routes exist — Free Wills Month (March and October, for people over a qualifying age), Will Aid (November, in exchange for a charity donation), some charities' own schemes, trade union benefits and employee benefit packages. Full details of the free routes and the catches.
Questions worth asking before you pay#
- Are you regulated, and by whom? (SRA, CLC, or a voluntary body like the IPW.)
- Is the price fixed, and what exactly does it include?
- Does the will appoint you or your firm as executor, and what would that cost my estate?
- Do you charge for storage, and where will the original be kept?
- What do changes cost later?
- Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Want this checked for your own situation?
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Frequently asked questions
Is a cheap online will legally valid?
Yes, provided it is properly signed and witnessed. Validity depends on execution, not price. The risk with any low-cost route is not that the document is invalid but that it says something you did not intend, misses your circumstances, or leaves gaps the intestacy rules then fill.
Do solicitors charge for storing a will?
Practice varies — many store originals free as a way of retaining the future probate work, others charge an annual fee. There is no obligation to store it with whoever drafted it. Wherever it goes, make sure your executors know. A photocopy is not sufficient: if the original cannot be found, the law presumes you destroyed it intending to revoke it.
Are mirror wills cheaper than two separate wills?
Usually, because the drafting work overlaps. Expect £250–£600 for the pair against £150–£400 each separately. Mirror wills are not binding on the survivor, though — they can change theirs afterwards. More on how mirror wills work.
Can I write a will myself for nothing?
Legally, yes — a handwritten will is valid if signed and properly witnessed. In practice home-made wills produce a disproportionate share of disputes: ambiguous wording, gifts of things no longer owned, no residue clause, and witnesses who turn out to be beneficiaries. For the cost of a decent meal out, the professional version removes that risk.
This is general information, not legal advice. Everyone's situation is different — speak to a qualified adviser before acting. KeepTheLot is an independent information service covering England & Wales. We are not a law firm.
Part of our guide to wills.