Free and cheap wills

Save money and give to charity with these two cut-price will campaigns.

There are a few ways to get a will drawn up, but if you want a solicitor to do it for you, you’ll have to pay more than £100.

According to MoneyHelper, a single will drawn up by a solicitor could cost you between £144 and £240, while a joint will could go up to £300.

However, there are a couple of offers which run every year that could bring down those costs:

Orange background with the text "free and cheap wills"

Regular offers

Free Wills Month

Twice a year in March and October, over 55’s can get a free will from participating solicitors with the Free Wills Month campaign. It’s done with several charities that sign up to take part. You’re not required to make a donation, though it’s hoped people will give something in return for the service.

You can now sign up, choose which charity you’d like to write a will with and book an appointment. These can book up quickly, so be sure to get in soon if you want a free will.

Will Aid – £100 for a basic will

Every November, as part of Will Aid, you can get a “free” appointment with participating solicitors to draw up a will. In return they ask you donate £100 for a single will and £180 for a joint “mirror will” to one of the partner charities, which includes NSPCC, Save the Children and Age UK.

You can already book for 2024, though these go quite fast. The Will Aid website has a postcode-based search option so you can find any solicitors taking part near you.

Other offers

Trussell Trust: Free will (ended)

The food bank charity The Trussell Trust has partnered with Farewill to give people who regularly donate to them the option to create a will or amend your existing one for free.

It’s completed either online or over the phone, and it’s only really suitable for simple wills.

So if you want to support the charity by setting up a direct debit you’ll be able to access this offer. Though there’s no requirement to leave a gift to the charity in the will itself, it’s something you should consider.

National Will Register: Register for free in May (expired)

The National Will Register is offering free will registrations in May with the code FREEWILLREG24.

It’s not a legal requirement to register your will but if you had your will done by a solicitor, they may have done this for you already. You can also just let your executor know where your will is. However, having it registered means it can be located and prevents it from being lost, misplaced or forgotten.

3 thoughts on “Free and cheap wills

  1. lesley marrion-cole October 3, 2024 at 9:40 am

    Also your trade union might have a free will-writing service.

  2. lesley marrion-cole October 3, 2024 at 9:38 am

    Be careful!!!. I went to my local solicitors wanting a free will. They wanted -insisted- that I pay them 1000 pounds EACH for POW for my spouse and I. I knew that Power of Attorney costs less than 100 pounds to set up; my sister in law who is not a solicitor had done it for her her mum and mine.

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