How Much Does a Will Cost in the UK?

Will costs in the UK vary widely, and rather than quoting specific prices that go out of date quickly, it's more useful to understand what actually drives the cost — because the cheapest option isn't always the right one, and the most expensive isn't automatically the safest.

The three main routes, and what you're paying for

• DIY will kits or templates are the cheapest option, but you're entirely responsible for correct wording and following the strict witnessing rules — a small mistake can invalidate the will, and nobody checks your work.
• Online will-writing services sit in the middle, typically guiding you through a structured set of questions, sometimes with a level of human review included. This suits many straightforward situations well, generally at a lower cost than a solicitor.
• A solicitor costs more, but provides tailored legal advice, not just a template — particularly valuable if your situation isn't straightforward.

What makes a situation "not straightforward"

Certain circumstances generally justify paying more for a solicitor rather than using a template or online service: owning property jointly with someone you're not married to, being in a blended family (children from previous relationships), running a business, having assets outside the UK, wanting to set up a trust within your will, or having a larger estate where inheritance tax planning matters (see our inheritance tax guide). In these cases, the cost of getting it wrong — a successfully challenged will, or an unintended tax bill — usually dwarfs the extra cost of proper advice.

Mirror wills for couples

Couples often write "mirror wills" — near-identical wills leaving everything to each other and then to the same beneficiaries — which most providers price as a discounted pair rather than two full individual prices.

Ongoing costs: storage and updates

Beyond the initial cost, consider two ongoing factors: safe storage (some providers include this, others charge separately or leave it to you), and future updates — life changes like marriage, divorce, or a new child usually mean revisiting your will, so it's worth understanding what a provider charges for amendments versus a fresh will.

Free will schemes

Some charities run free or discounted will-writing schemes (often through participating solicitors) in exchange for considering a gift to that charity in your will — there's no obligation to actually include the gift, though many people choose to. These can be a genuinely good option if you qualify, particularly for straightforward wills.

Weighing cost against risk

The cheapest route only looks cheap until something goes wrong — a wrongly witnessed signature, an ambiguous clause, or an overlooked jointly-owned asset can cost your estate far more in legal fees and delays than a proper will would have cost upfront. The right amount to spend depends on how complicated your situation genuinely is, not just on finding the lowest headline price.

This is general information about the law in England and Wales, not personalised legal advice. Rules, thresholds and processes change, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules in places — for anything that depends on your own circumstances, it is worth speaking to a solicitor (ideally one accredited by STEP or Solicitors for the Elderly) or checking GOV.UK and Citizens Advice for current detail.