DIY Will vs Solicitor: Costs Compared

1. DIY Will Kits (GBP 10-30)

A DIY will kit is a pack of templates you fill in yourself. You can pick one up at WH Smith or similar high street stationery shops for around £15-£23, or order online for sometimes less.

How it works: You follow instructions, write in your wishes, sign in front of two witnesses, and that's it.

Who it suits: People with very simple wishes and no complications.

The risks are real. Common problems include vague language that creates ambiguity, witnesses who are also beneficiaries (which invalidates their gift), failure to revoke an old will, and not properly understanding the signing and witnessing rules. A poorly written will can cost your loved ones far more than the saving you made.

2. Online Will-Writing Services (GBP 90-300)

Services like Farewill and Co-op Legal Services offer a middle ground. You answer guided questions online, and their team reviews your answers before finalising your will.

Current pricing (2026):

• Farewill: £100 for a single online will, £160 for couples; £240 single / £380 couples for phone wills; £10/year for unlimited updates after the first year

How it works: You complete an online form, the service checks it for legal soundness, and you get a finalised will to sign.

Who it suits: People with simple circumstances who want more guidance than a kit but at lower cost than a solicitor.

The strengths: Faster than booking a solicitor, cheaper, reviewed by qualified people. Farewill won National Will Writing Firm of the Year for several consecutive years and has strong customer reviews.

The limitations: Most online services are less confident handling complex situations. If your circumstances change frequently, the annual update fees add up. They may decline to act if your estate is complex.

3. Will-Writing Companies In Person (GBP 150-400)

These are independent practitioners, often working from home or local offices. They're not solicitors, but many belong to professional bodies.

Who it suits: People who want face-to-face support without solicitor fees, and prefer to work with someone in their area.

The risks: Quality is highly variable. An IPW member is better regulated than a will writer with no membership, but you have less legal protection than with a solicitor. If something goes wrong, your recourse is more limited.

Finding a reputable one: Look for IPW membership or membership of The Society of Will Writers. Ask about their experience, insurance, and complaints procedures.

4. Solicitor-Drafted Wills (GBP 150-600+)

A solicitor is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, holds professional indemnity insurance, and can handle complex situations.

Current pricing (2026):

• Simple single will: £150-£300
• Mirror wills (couple, same provisions): £245-£400
• Complex will (trusts, business assets, tax planning): £500-£1,500+

Who it suits: Anyone with complexity, anyone wanting peace of mind, and anyone who can afford it.

The strengths: Regulated professional, full legal liability if something goes wrong, can handle complex estates, can give tax advice, can set up trusts, understands multi-jurisdiction situations.

The cost reflects the value: A solicitor will ask detailed questions, check for problems you might miss, flag inheritance tax issues, and often reduce headaches for your executors later.

5. Free Wills Through Charity Schemes

Several routes offer wills at no cost:

Free Wills Month (March and October): Partner solicitors in selected locations across the UK waive fees for people aged 55 and over who need a simple will, in exchange for a suggested donation to participating charities. Free Wills Month has details of current campaigns and eligibility.

Will Aid (November): Similar scheme. Participating solicitors waive fees in exchange for a suggested donation (typically £120 for a single will, £200 for mirror wills) to nine charities.

Cancer Research UK and other major charities: Cancer Research UK partners with solicitors to offer free will-writing for simple wills. There is no obligation to leave a gift, though most people do. Other major charities run similar schemes.

Who it suits: People who would otherwise pay a solicitor but can write in November or March, or who want to support a charity.

The catch: These are simple wills only. Complex situations may not be eligible.

Don't scrimp on professional help if any of these apply:

Business or property interests: If you own a business, hold a share in one, or have buy-sell agreements, a solicitor can structure your will to minimise disruption and tax. A DIY will might create problems for your successors.

Property abroad: A will that covers overseas property needs jurisdiction-specific knowledge. DIY and online services often cannot help.

Blended families: If you have children from different relationships, or if your partner has children, family dynamics are more complex. A solicitor can help you navigate possible claims and structure trusts if needed.

Trusts: If you want to leave money in trust for minor children, vulnerable beneficiaries, or tax planning, you need legal expertise. This is beyond most DIY kits and online services.

Complex assets: Pensions with death benefits, investment portfolios, agricultural property, and other specialist assets need understanding. A solicitor knows how these assets pass on death and can advise.

Disinheriting someone: If you are deliberately leaving someone out, you risk an Inheritance Act claim. A solicitor can advise on wording and explain your options.

Inheritance tax exposure: Professional advice is worth considering if inheritance tax may apply. The standard nil-rate band is £325,000, and some estates may also qualify for the residence nil-rate band of up to £175,000, with transferable allowances sometimes available between spouses or civil partners. A solicitor can suggest planning strategies tailored to your situation.

Multiple UK jurisdictions: If you have ties to England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (for example, property in different places), the law differs. A solicitor practising across the UK can coordinate.

If all of these are true, you might safely go DIY or online:

• Your wishes are simple: everything to your spouse, then to your children
• You have no business interests or foreign property
• No blended family complications
• You understand the witnessing and signing rules for your jurisdiction
• Your estate is small enough that mistakes won't devastate your family financially

Even then, an online service offers better protection than a kit for not much more money.

England and Wales: Your will must be in writing, signed by you in the presence of two witnesses, and both witnesses must be present together. Witnesses (and their spouses or civil partners) cannot inherit under your will. If they do, that gift is invalid. This rule catches many people by surprise. Marriage usually revokes a previous will unless it was written in contemplation of that marriage.

Scotland: The rules are fundamentally different. The Requirements of Writing (Scotland) Act 1995 requires a will to be signed by you. Unlike the two-witness rule in England and Wales, one witness is commonly used in Scotland because it creates a presumption that the will is valid (known as "self-proving" status), which makes proving the will easier.

More importantly, Scottish succession law does not allow you to completely disinherit your spouse or children. Scottish legal rights exist regardless of what your will says. This is a critical point. Your spouse and children have automatic entitlements to part of your estate. Your will controls only the remainder. This is fundamentally different from England and Wales, where you can leave everything to your neighbour if you wish.

Northern Ireland: Similar rules to England and Wales. The Wills and Administration Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 governs. Two witnesses required, witnesses cannot benefit, marriage revokes a previous will.

If you decide professional help is worth it, here's how to find someone suitable.

Start local. A high-street solicitor with a private client or wills and probate department is often your best bet. They'll know the local property market, local court processes, and local funeral directors. The Law Society's Find a Solicitor tool lets you search by area and specialism.

Check their specialism. Not every solicitor writes wills regularly. You want someone whose day-to-day work includes wills, trusts, and estate planning. Ask how many wills they write per month. If the answer is fewer than five, consider looking elsewhere.

Ask about fixed fees. Most solicitors offer fixed-fee quotes for will writing. Get the quote in writing before you commit. Ask what's included: does the fee cover storage of the original? Does it include a review meeting after a year? What about changes if your circumstances shift?

Get more than one quote. Prices vary widely. A simple will might cost £150 at one firm and £350 at another in the same town. The more expensive solicitor isn't necessarily better, but the cheapest one might be rushing through the work. Compare quotes and ask what each one includes.

If you have Scottish connections, use a Scottish solicitor. English solicitors are not trained in Scottish succession law, and the differences are significant. If you own property in Scotland or have family there, a Scottish solicitor can advise on legal rights and how your will interacts with them. For a guide to how Scottish succession law works, see our guide on intestacy rules.

A badly drafted will doesn't just cause inconvenience. It can cost your family real money and real distress.

Contested wills. If a family member believes the will doesn't reflect your wishes, or that you were pressured or lacked capacity when you signed it, they can challenge it in court. Contested probate cases cost thousands of pounds, take months or years, and tear families apart. A solicitor-drafted will with proper capacity assessment reduces this risk. For more on what happens when someone dies without a valid will, see our guide on intestacy rules.

Invalid gifts. If a witness is also a beneficiary, their gift is void. If a clause is ambiguous, a court may have to interpret it. These problems are avoidable with professional drafting.

Tax that could have been reduced. If your estate is above the inheritance tax threshold, a solicitor can advise on legitimate planning. Trusts, exemptions, and gifts made during your lifetime can reduce the bill significantly. A DIY will rarely accounts for these. For more on thresholds and planning, see our guide on inheritance tax.

Executor confusion. If your will doesn't clearly explain who does what, or if you've named executors who are also beneficiaries without addressing potential conflicts, your executors may need to seek their own legal advice, at the estate's expense.

The cost of professional help looks different when you compare it to the cost of getting it wrong.

Witnesses as beneficiaries: The most common error. Your sister witnesses your will and is also named as a beneficiary. Her gift is invalid. She gets nothing. This catches people constantly.

Vague language: "I leave my personal belongings to my family" creates ambiguity. Do you mean all personal items? Some? What happens to items your family disagrees about?

Not revoking an old will: If you've made a will before, you should explicitly revoke it in your new will. Otherwise, there can be confusion about which version controls.

Not updating after major life changes: Marriage usually revokes your previous will in England and Wales (but not Scotland). Divorce can affect your will depending on jurisdiction. Children born after your will don't automatically inherit. If your circumstances change, update your will.

Not understanding Scottish law: If you or your beneficiaries have Scottish connections, DIY is risky. The rules about legal rights mean your will might not achieve what you intended.

Making a will is not a one-off event. Your circumstances change, and your will should change with them.

Review your will after any major life event: marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, the death of a beneficiary or executor, buying or selling property, moving to a different UK jurisdiction, or a significant change in your financial position.

As a rough guide, review your will every three to five years even if nothing obvious has changed. Relationships evolve, assets shift, and tax rules are updated.

If you used a solicitor, most will offer an update for a fraction of the original cost. If you used an online service, check their annual update fee. If you wrote a DIY will, you'll need to execute a new one from scratch, because handwritten amendments (known as codicils) are legally valid but easy to get wrong.

For a complete overview of what to include and how to think through your will, see our guide on making a will. And for context on everything else your family will need, see our estate planning checklist.

Having a will is always better than not having one. If you die intestate (without a will), your estate is distributed according to strict legal rules that might not reflect your wishes, and the process is more expensive and complicated for your loved ones.

If your circumstances are simple, an online service costs £90-300 and offers a good middle ground. If they're complex, a solicitor costs more but saves your executors stress and potentially saves money on tax and complications.

Whatever you choose, get it done. The cost difference between the options is often a fraction of what a poorly written will costs your family in confusion, legal fees, and disputes.

If you're unsure whether your situation is simple or complex, many solicitors offer a short initial consultation at no charge. It's worth asking whether they can give you honest advice about whether you need professional help.