Cost is one of the main reasons people put off making a Will. So what is the cost of a Will? The honest answer is that it depends on who writes it, how you give your instructions and how complicated your wishes are. This guide explains the options available in England and Wales and what affects the price. It also sets out what A.D.E. Wills charges.
What affects the cost of a Will?
The main factors are:
- Single or couple: couples usually make two “mirror” Wills, which costs less than two separate single Wills.
- How complex your wishes are: a simple Will leaving everything to a partner and then children costs less than one with trusts, business interests or property abroad.
- Trusts: a Life Interest Trust, Discretionary Trust or Vulnerable Beneficiary Trust adds drafting time and usually has a separate price.
- How you meet: a home visit takes more time than a video meeting.
- Urgency: a Will needed within days, for example because someone is seriously ill, costs more.
- Who writes it: a solicitor, a professional Will writer or a DIY kit.
Your options for making a Will
DIY Will kits and templates
DIY kits are the cheapest option, but you carry all the risk. Common problems include Wills that are not signed and witnessed correctly. Another is a gift to a witness (or a witness’s spouse), which fails even though the rest of the Will stays valid. A third is wording that does not deal with what happens if a beneficiary dies first. Mistakes usually only come to light after your death, when nobody can put them right. GOV.UK has a short guide to making a Will.
Professional Will writers
Professional Will writers specialise in preparing Wills and related documents such as Lasting Powers of Attorney. Will writing is not a reserved legal activity, so you do not need a solicitor to make a valid Will. When choosing a Will writer, check that they belong to a professional body with a code of practice, complaints process and professional indemnity insurance. Edward Richings is a Full Member of the Society of Will Writers.
Solicitors
The Solicitors Regulation Authority regulates solicitors, and they can also deal with matters a Will writer cannot, such as probate, litigation and conveyancing. Some people prefer a solicitor where an estate is very complex or they expect a dispute. Fees vary widely between firms, so ask for a fixed quote before you start.
A.D.E. Wills prices
All our prices are fixed fees, and we do not charge VAT. The full list is on our Wills Pricing page.
- In-Person Will (at your home or our Oxford office): £400 single, £565 couple. The price includes home visits within our core area. This covers Oxford, Aylesbury, most of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and neighbouring parts of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. A £75 supplement applies for longer journeys.
- Online Will (by video meeting, with phone as a backup): £245 single, £405 couple.
- Emergency Will: £795 single, £995 couple. We take instructions within 24 hours, send the draft within 48 hours and arrange an independent second witness.
What is included
Every In-Person and Online Will includes:
- a free initial chat, with no obligation
- unlimited changes to your draft
- a personalised booklet explaining your draft Will clause by clause
- your printed Will, bound and posted to you with a complimentary pen
- a step-by-step Signing Guide, to help you sign it and have it witnessed correctly
Additional services
If your Will needs more than a straightforward set of gifts, these extras each have a separate price:
- Life Interest Trust: £175
- Discretionary Trust: £225
- Vulnerable Beneficiary Trust: £225
- Letter of Wishes: £95
- Severing a joint tenancy: £195
- Land Registry Title Register Search: £7
- Will Signing Service, where we attend, run the signing and act as one witness: £135
- Second Witness Service: £95
Updating your Will
If you need up to ten minor changes, an update costs £80 single or £135 couple, and we print and post the revised Will. Bigger changes need a new Will.
Keeping your Will safe and up to date
A Will is only useful if your executors can find it and it still reflects your wishes. We offer two plans:
- Safe Will Plan: £36 a year single or £60 a year couple, billed annually. It includes fireproof storage of your original Will, a password-protected copy, an annual reminder and free yearly review, release of the Will to your executors, and 10% off our other Wills services.
- Legacy Care Plan: £10 a month single or £18 a month couple. It includes everything in the Safe Will Plan, plus one minor update a year, a brand-new Will every three years and registration on the Certainty National Will Register. It is available only for Wills written by A.D.E. Wills.
The cost of not having a Will
If you die without a valid Will, the intestacy rules decide who inherits. If you have children, a spouse or civil partner takes the personal possessions, the first £322,000 and half of the rest, and the remainder goes to your children. Without children, a spouse or civil partner usually inherits everything. However, an unmarried partner inherits nothing, however long you have lived together. There is no such thing as “common-law marriage” in England and Wales.
Without a Will, you also cannot choose your executors or guardians for young children, and your family may face a longer and more difficult process applying to deal with your estate. An unmarried partner may have to make a court claim to receive anything. You can check who would inherit on GOV.UK.
Remember that marriage or civil partnership usually revokes an existing Will, and divorce changes how it works. If your circumstances have changed, it is worth reviewing your Will.
Get a fixed quote
If you would like to know the exact cost of a Will for your circumstances, Edward is happy to have a free, no-obligation initial chat with you. Call 01865 507174 or email info@adewills.co.uk, or see our Wills page.
