How much does a will cost in the UK?
A will is the only way to control who inherits your estate and to appoint guardians for your children. Costs range from nothing for a DIY kit to several hundred pounds for a solicitor — and complex estates cost more. Here's what drives the price and where to save safely.
Four ways to make a will
- DIY kit or template (£0–£50): a paper or downloadable form. Cheapest, but easy to get wrong.
- Online will service (£80–£200): a guided questionnaire, sometimes checked by a professional.
- Will writer (£100–£300): a specialist, but the industry is largely unregulated.
- Solicitor (£150–£400+): regulated legal advice with professional-indemnity insurance.
Complexity and couples
A simple "everything to my spouse, then the children" will is cheap. Costs rise when you add trusts (for young children, vulnerable beneficiaries or to protect against care fees), business or agricultural assets, foreign property, or a blended family with stepchildren. Mirror wills for a couple — two near-identical wills — usually cost less than two separate wills because the work overlaps.
Free and low-cost routes
You don't always have to pay full price:
- Free Wills Month (March and October) — solicitors write simple wills free for those over 55, in return for an optional charity gift.
- Will Aid (November) — solicitors waive their fee for a donation to charity.
- Some employers and unions offer free or subsidised will-writing as a benefit.
A couple with young children
A married couple with two young children want mirror wills naming guardians and leaving everything to each other, then to the children. A solicitor might charge around £300–£500 for both mirror wills. Adding a trust to hold the children's inheritance until age 25 could push it towards £700–£900. Against an estate of several hundred thousand pounds, that is money well spent for certainty.
Common will mistakes
- Invalid witnessing. A will must be signed by you and witnessed by two people who are not beneficiaries — get this wrong and it fails.
- Never updating it. Marriage usually revokes an existing will; divorce, new children and house moves all warrant a review.
- Using a cheap will for a complex estate. Trusts and blended families need proper drafting; a template can create unintended tax or disputes.
- Not storing it safely. Executors must be able to find the original signed will; tell them where it is.