A simple will in England & Wales costs between £90 and £400. Online services offer the best value for most people, with professional review included from £90. Solicitors are worth the cost only for genuinely complex estates.
How much does a will cost? In England & Wales, a simple will costs between £90 and £400. The price will vary depending on whether you use an online service, a will writer, or a high street solicitor, and how complex your estate is.
But how much is a will in the UK really? That depends on the route you take. The government's guide to making a will covers the basics, but it doesn't compare costs. Let's break down the cost to write a will for each option, what you get for the money, and where the hidden charges lurk.
The three ways to make a will (and what each costs)
There are three main routes to getting a legally binding will written in England & Wales, each with a different price, a different level of legal protection, and a different set of trade-offs.
Online will services: £90–£160
Online services have made the will writing cost much cheaper over the past few years. The process involves answering a guided questionnaire about your assets, beneficiaries, and wishes, after which the service generates your legal documentation for signing and witnessing.
Here are the main services in England & Wales and what they currently charge:
| Service | Single will | Couples | Key details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinwise | £90 | £150 | Estate hub included. All wills reviewed by a Society of Will Writers member. |
| Farewill | £100 | £160 | Phone wills from £240. Updates £10/year after first free year. |
| Kwil | £150 | £290 | Free updates. Executor lockbox service included. |
| Co-op Legal Services | £150 | £245 | Fully SRA-regulated. Uncommon among online providers. |
The government has published guidance on what to consider when buying will-writing services to help you make a safe choice. If you're using a professional will writer rather than a solicitor, look for membership of the Society of Will Writers (SWW) or the Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW). Both bodies require members to carry professional indemnity insurance and follow a code of practice, giving you a layer of protection if something goes wrong.
For most people with simple wishes, an online service gives you peace of mind at a fraction of the solicitor's fee. The wills produced are just as legally valid, they go through a professional review process, and the whole thing takes 15–30 minutes rather than weeks of back-and-forth with a law firm.
Make your will with Kinwise from £90.
Every will is reviewed by a member of the Society of Will Writers.
Solicitor-drafted wills: £150–£500+
The cost of making a will with a solicitor will depend on the complexity of your estate and where you live. According to MoneyHelper (the government-backed advice service), a simple solicitor will costs between £150 and £408 including VAT. A Which? survey from May 2025 found the average solicitor fee was £328.
That means you could be paying two to four times the price of an online service for the same outcome. For a straightforward will, a solicitor is doing the same job as a good online service: asking you questions about your assets and wishes, putting them into a legal format, and checking the document. The main difference is you're also paying for their office, their receptionist, and their overhead.
Where a solicitor does earn their fee is on genuinely complex estates. If you own a business, have property overseas, need to set up trusts, or need estate planning advice, a solicitor with specialist knowledge is worth the cost. But for the majority of people in England & Wales with a home, a pension, some savings, and a family, a solicitor will is an expensive way to get something that an online service handles just as well.
Mirror wills for married couples tend to cost less than two single wills. Most solicitors charge around £250–£600 for a pair.
DIY will kits: £10–£30
You can buy a will template from a stationery shop or download one online for as little as £10. You fill in the blanks, sign it in front of two witnesses, and it's legally valid, so long as you've done everything correctly.
The risk is real though. A will that's unclear, badly witnessed, or missing key parts can be challenged or declared invalid. There's no one checking your work, and the template provider usually excludes all liability. The money you save (maybe £80 versus an online service) is small compared to the potential cost of getting it wrong.
What makes a will more expensive?
The will writing cost comes down mainly to complexity. A will that says "everything to my wife, then split equally between my three children" is simple. Costs will depend on the complexity of your situation, and these factors will push the price up:
- Trusts. If you want to protect assets for a vulnerable beneficiary, prevent children from inheriting before a certain age, or set up a life interest trust, you're adding legal complexity. Expect to pay £399–£1,000 or more.
- Business assets. Shares in a private company, partnership interests, or business property all need careful handling, especially around inheritance tax reliefs like Business Relief.
- Overseas property. You may need a separate will for assets in another country, governed by local law. This adds both complexity and cost.
- Blended families. Second marriages with children from earlier relationships create competing interests that need careful drafting.
- Inheritance tax planning. If your estate is likely to exceed the nil-rate band (currently £325,000 per person, or £500,000 with the residence nil-rate band), you may need professional tax advice. This moves you from will writing into estate planning territory, which costs more but can save your family much more in tax.
It's also worth making lasting powers of attorney at the same time as your will. Many solicitors and online services offer a discount when you bundle both, and it saves you having to go over your financial affairs again later.
Hidden costs to watch for
When comparing prices, check what's actually included:
- VAT. Some providers quote prices without VAT. A £300 + VAT solicitor will really costs £360.
- Storage fees. Some businesses will offer storage options. You can also store your will with HM Courts and Tribunal Service.
- Update fees. Making small changes to your will can cost you extra. Marriage, divorce, children can all be reasons for updating a will. Most providers will charge you for these updates, which can add up if you make many over the years.
- Executor fees. If you appoint a professional executor, they will charge your estate after you die. Fees are typically 1–3% of the estate's value. On a £500,000 estate, that's £5,000–£15,000.
So what should you actually spend?
The cost to write a will doesn't need to be hundreds of pounds. For most people in England & Wales with a home, some savings, a pension, and a family, an online service in the £90–£150 range is the sweet spot. You get a properly structured will, professional review, and peace of mind that your wishes are clearly set down.
If your estate is genuinely complex, involves trusts, or could be contested, the cost of making a will with a solicitor may be justified. But be honest about whether your situation actually calls for one. Most people's estates are simpler than they think, and paying £300+ for a solicitor to draft a basic will is money you don't need to spend.
We'd caution against the pure DIY route. The cost gap between a £10 template and a £90 online service is small. The risk gap is not.
Skipping a will can be the costliest mistake. Roughly, more than 30 million adults in the UK still don't have one. If you pass away without making a will, the rules of intestacy determine how your estate is shared, and the outcome may not reflect your wishes. Your spouse or partner may not inherit everything, and stepchildren could receive nothing. With wills starting at around £90, it makes sense to put one in place and protect your family.
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Make Your Will Online →Frequently asked questions
A simple will in England and Wales costs between £90 and £400. Online will services charge £90–£160, solicitors charge £150–£500+, and DIY will kits cost £10–£30. The price depends on the complexity of your estate and which type of service you use.
A solicitor typically charges between £150 and £408 for a simple will including VAT. A Which? survey from May 2025 found the average solicitor fee was £328. Complex wills involving trusts, business assets, or overseas property can cost £500 to £1,000 or more.
Yes. A will's legal validity depends on whether it meets the requirements of the Wills Act 1837, not on who wrote it. Online wills are just as legally binding as solicitor-drafted wills, provided they are properly signed and witnessed.
The cheapest option is a DIY will kit from around £10, but this carries risk if you make mistakes. Online will services from £90 offer a much safer option with professional review included. Solicitors are the most expensive route, starting at around £150 for a simple will.
Will costs increase with complexity. Factors that push the price up include setting up trusts, handling business assets, owning overseas property, blended family situations, and inheritance tax planning. A complex will can cost £500 to £1,000 or more.
Mirror wills for couples typically cost less than two individual wills. Online services charge around £135–£245 for a pair. Solicitors charge around £250–£600 for mirror wills.