How Much Does a Will Cost?

The main factor is complexity. A simple will leaving everything to a spouse or straight down to children costs less to prepare than one involving trusts, business assets, inheritance tax planning, or provisions for a dependant who cannot manage their own affairs. Solicitors typically charge more for the additional time and specialist advice these situations require.

Whether you make individual wills or mirror wills as a couple also affects price. Mirror wills are usually cheaper per person than two separate individual wills, since much of the content is duplicated between them.

Location can also affect solicitor pricing, since firms in London and the South East often charge more than those elsewhere for broadly the same work, whereas an online service typically charges the same fixed price regardless of where you live in England and Wales.

Online will services charge a fixed fee for straightforward wills and let you complete the questionnaire at your own pace, without booking an appointment. My Posh Will's £69 individual will, or £89 mirror wills, generally undercuts solicitor pricing for equivalent straightforward wills.

A solicitor's fee usually reflects a face-to-face or phone consultation, drafting time, and the ability to advise on issues an online questionnaire might not pick up, such as inheritance tax planning or trusts for vulnerable beneficiaries. This makes solicitors better value where your estate genuinely needs that advice, but often unnecessary expense where it does not.

It is worth asking any solicitor for a fixed quote before instructing them, since some charge by the hour, which can make the final cost harder to predict, particularly if your instructions change partway through or extra meetings are needed.

A paper will kit is often the cheapest option upfront, but the wording is generic and it is easy to make mistakes with clauses, witnessing instructions or how gifts are described. An invalid or ambiguous will can lead to expensive probate disputes later, which usually far exceed anything saved on the initial cost.

Beyond the cost of drafting, consider storage (some solicitors charge ongoing fees to hold your will), and the cost of updating it after life events such as marriage, divorce or buying a property, since these often require a new will rather than a minor amendment.

If your estate could face inheritance tax, includes a business or agricultural property, foreign assets, a blended family, or a dependant who needs a trust, the extra cost of a solicitor is usually worthwhile, since getting these situations wrong can be far more expensive to fix later.

A fixed online fee typically covers the full questionnaire, generation of the will document, and the ability to revise your answers before the will is finalised. It does not usually include ongoing legal advice, storage of the physical document, or updates after the will has been signed, so it is worth checking exactly what is covered before comparing prices between providers.

Some services charge extra for printed and posted copies, or for storage, while others build a basic level of this into the headline price. Reading what is actually included, rather than comparing the price alone, gives a clearer picture of overall value.

Before signing a will you have written yourself, read it through slowly, ideally out loud, and check that every gift is unambiguous, every backup is named, and the residue shares add up correctly. It can help to ask a trusted person unconnected to the will to read it too, purely to check that the meaning is clear to someone without the context in your head.

If anything still feels uncertain after this check, that uncertainty is a reasonable signal that a solicitor should look at the document before you sign, even if you intend to remain the one who wrote it.