Will Writing Cost Calculator

What This Calculator Does

This is a transparent indicative cost estimator — not a fixed quote. It blends three things you choose (the type of will, who writes it, and how complex your estate is) into a realistic low-to-high price range for the UK in 2025/26. Will writing is a market with no statutory price list, so any tool that promises a single exact figure is misleading. Instead, this calculator shows you the band you should expect to pay, so you can sanity-check quotes and avoid being overcharged.

Writing a will is one of the most worthwhile financial decisions you can make, yet roughly half of UK adults still die without one. When someone dies intestate (without a valid will), their estate is shared out under fixed intestacy rules set by GOV.UK — which may leave nothing to an unmarried partner and can create avoidable inheritance tax. A modest spend on a will today can save your family far more in legal costs, tax and stress later.

The figures below are typical market ranges for England and Wales drawn from published price lists and consumer guidance (Co-op Legal Services, MoneyHelper, Remember A Charity and similar sources). Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate legal systems and slightly different costs, but the broad bands are comparable.

How the Calculator Works

The estimator starts with a base price band for your chosen will type and provider, then adds bands for complexity and any Lasting Power of Attorney. The low ends are summed to give the bottom of your range and the high ends to give the top. Here is exactly what it uses for 2025/26:

Base will price (single will)

Complexity add-on

A simple estate adds nothing. If your will includes a trust, or involves business or foreign assets, the calculator adds £300–£1,500 on top, reflecting the extra drafting, tax planning and advice involved. This add-on is most realistic when a solicitor or specialist will-writer is doing the work; very few online kits handle genuine trust or cross-border planning well.

Lasting Power of Attorney (optional)

Many people set up a will and a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) at the same time. The calculator can add an estimate for LPA drafting: roughly £150–£400 for one LPA type and £300–£700 for both (Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare). These figures are the professional drafting fee only — they exclude the separate Office of the Public Guardian registration fee of £82 per LPA. For a full LPA breakdown, use our Lasting Power of Attorney cost calculator.

Worked Example

Sarah and Tom are a married couple in their fifties with a house, savings and two adult children. They want mirror wills leaving everything to each other and then to the children, and they want a professional to handle it but do not need a trust. They also decide to set up both LPA types each.

• Mirror wills, professional will-writer: £180–£400
• Complexity (simple estate): £0
• Both LPA types: £300–£700

Adding the bands gives an estimated total of £480 to £1,100 for the drafting work. On top of that, if they go ahead with the LPAs, they would pay the Office of the Public Guardian £82 per LPA to register — that is four LPAs in total (two each), so around £328 in registration fees, unless they qualify for an exemption or 50% reduction on a low income. Their realistic all-in cost for wills plus registered LPAs is therefore roughly £800–£1,400. Had they used a high-street solicitor instead of a will-writer, MoneyHelper's guidance suggests the will element alone could rise toward the £420–£900 range for anything more complex.

The Factors and Rules That Matter

1. Will-writers are largely unregulated

This is the single most important thing to understand. Drafting a will is not a reserved legal activity under the Legal Services Act 2007, which means anyone can set up as a "will-writer" with no qualifications, no exams and no compulsory professional indemnity insurance. GOV.UK's own guidance, "What to consider when buying will writing services", urges you to check for yourself whether a will-writer is regulated or belongs to a self-regulatory body before you pay.

By contrast, solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), must hold insurance, and are covered by a compensation scheme if something goes wrong. Specialist estate practitioners may belong to STEP (the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) or trade bodies such as the Institute of Professional Willwriters, which impose voluntary codes. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued guidance for unregulated will-writing businesses, but membership and standards remain voluntary. The price you pay partly reflects this protection: a solicitor costs more, but you are buying accountability.

2. The will must be legally valid

Cost has nothing to do with legality. Under the Wills Act 1837, a will in England and Wales is valid only if it is in writing, signed by you with the intention of giving effect to it, and your signature is made or acknowledged in the presence of two witnesses who are present at the same time and who each sign. Crucially, a beneficiary (or their spouse) must not act as a witness, or their gift is void. A £30 online will that follows these rules is just as legally valid as a £650 solicitor will.

3. Complexity drives the price

Straightforward "everything to my spouse, then to my children" wills are cheap. Costs climb when you add trusts (for example, to protect assets for stepchildren or a disabled beneficiary), own a business or agricultural land, hold property or accounts abroad, want to mitigate inheritance tax, or have a blended family where disputes are more likely. These situations genuinely need professional advice, which is why the calculator adds £300–£1,500.

4. Free and reduced-cost routes exist

You can sometimes pay nothing. Free Wills Month (March and October) and Will Aid (November) let participating solicitors write a basic will free or for a charitable donation, generally for people over a set age. Charities including Age UK, Macmillan and members of Remember A Charity run free or reduced-cost schemes year-round, and some employers and unions offer will benefits. These cover simple wills only — anything complex still costs.

5. Keeping it updated

A will is not "write once and forget". Review it after marriage (which usually revokes an existing will in England and Wales), divorce, a new child or grandchild, buying property, or a significant change in wealth. Minor changes can be made with a codicil, but substantial changes are better handled with a fresh will. Factor possible future amendment fees into your budget.

Will Cost Comparison 2025/26

Ranges include VAT where typically quoted that way. Complex wills add £300–£1,500. Figures are typical UK market bands for 2025/26 and will vary by firm and region.

Key Figures at a Glance

How to Use This Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Estate Planning Tools

Planning your estate is more than just a will. Pair this with our other UK tools:

• Probate Fees Calculator — estimate the cost of obtaining the grant of probate after death.
• Lasting Power of Attorney Cost Calculator — work out LPA drafting and the £82-per-LPA registration fees.
• Inheritance Tax Calculator — see whether your estate exceeds the £325,000 nil-rate band.
• All UK Calculators — browse our full library of free 2025/26 tools.