How much does it cost to write a will?
Last reviewed 18 August 2026
To make a will is the plainest act of foresight a person can perform for those they leave behind — and, done in good time, one of the least costly. The expense depends less on price than on the complexity of the estate.
“He that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune.”Francis Bacon, Of Marriage and Single Life, 1612
The routes and their cost
An online will can be prepared for around £90; a high-street solicitor charges more, but brings judgement where an estate is not simple. For a straightforward estate an online will is usually sufficient; where there are trusts, business assets, property abroad or a blended family, a solicitor regulated by the SRA is the safer route, whatever the headline price. A cheap will that fails is the most expensive of all.
Why a will is worth the cost
Without a valid will, the estate passes under the intestacy rules — a statutory order that rarely matches what the deceased would have wished, and which can leave an unmarried partner with nothing. A will also appoints guardians for children, names a trusted executor, and can reduce the inheritance tax due.
Questions
How much is the cheapest legal will?+
When should I use a solicitor?+
What happens if I die without a will?+
Sources. Provider pricing (cited per provider at review); GOV.UK, Making a will; Wills Act 1837.