How Much Does a Will Cost in the UK in 2026? Solicitor vs Online vs DIY

What Drives the Cost of a Will

Will-writing costs in the UK span a wide range, and the price mostly reflects complexity and the level of professional advice involved, not just paperwork:

Some banks, building societies and charities offer free will-writing as part of promotions (often via campaigns like Free Wills Month or through charity partnerships), usually with the hope you'll consider leaving a legacy gift — there's no obligation to do so.

Is a Cheap Will Legally Valid?

Yes. UK law (the Wills Act 1837, as amended) sets out simple formal requirements for a valid will:

• It must be in writing
• Signed by the person making the will (the testator)
• Signed in the presence of two witnesses, who are present at the same time
• The witnesses then also sign, in the testator's presence

Meeting these formalities makes a will legally valid regardless of whether it cost £10 or £1,000. The real risk with cheap DIY options isn't invalidity — it's poor drafting: ambiguous wording that causes disputes, assets that are accidentally missed, failure to appoint substitute executors or guardians, or clauses that don't account for what happens if a beneficiary dies before you.

When Paying More Is Worth It

A solicitor becomes much more valuable, not just for drafting but for advice, when your situation includes:

• Blended families — children from previous relationships, where you want to balance provision between a current partner and children from an earlier relationship
• Unmarried partners — cohabiting partners have no automatic inheritance rights under intestacy rules, so a properly drafted will is essential
• Business or agricultural assets — Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief have specific conditions that a solicitor can help structure correctly
• Significant Inheritance Tax exposure — with the nil-rate band frozen at £325,000 and the residence nil-rate band at £175,000 through at least April 2030, more estates are being drawn into IHT; a solicitor can advise on trusts, gifting strategies and reliefs
• Property abroad — foreign assets may need a separate will in that jurisdiction, and a UK solicitor can advise on how the two interact
• Dependants with disabilities — special provisions (such as trusts) may be needed to avoid affecting means-tested benefits

Marriage, Divorce and Your Will

Two life events specifically affect an existing will in England and Wales:

• Marriage or civil partnership automatically revokes any earlier will, unless it was made specifically "in contemplation of" that marriage (a clause a solicitor can include in advance).
• Divorce or dissolution doesn't revoke the will, but the law treats your former spouse as if they died before you for the purposes of gifts and executor appointments in the will — meaning any gift left to them typically fails and passes as if that clause didn't exist.

Both situations mean an outdated will can produce results you never intended. Review your will after any major life change: marriage, divorce, new children, house moves, or a significant change in assets.

Dying Without a Will

If you die intestate (without a valid will), your estate is distributed under fixed intestacy rules — a strict legal order of who inherits, based on marital status, children, and other relatives. Key points:

• Unmarried partners inherit nothing automatically, no matter how long the relationship
• Stepchildren who were never legally adopted are not automatically included
• The distribution can leave a surviving spouse with less than they might expect if there are children, since the spouse doesn't automatically inherit everything
• If there are no surviving relatives within the defined categories, the estate can pass to the Crown (bona vacantia)

This mismatch between what people assume happens and what actually happens under intestacy is the strongest argument for making a will, however simple, rather than putting it off.

Practical Steps

1. List your assets, debts, and who you want to benefit — this makes any drafting process (DIY, online, or solicitor) faster and cheaper.
2. Decide on executors and, if you have children, guardians.
3. For simple, low-value estates with no unusual family circumstances, an online or DIY will may be adequate — but read it carefully and consider having it checked.
4. For anything involving IHT, trusts, business assets, or a non-standard family structure, budget for a solicitor — the extra cost is generally small relative to the value of getting a complex estate right.
5. Store the signed will safely and tell your executor where to find it; consider registering it with a will registration service.