TL;DR
Online will services cost less (typically GBP 30 to GBP 100) and suit simple estates with standard provisions. Solicitor-drafted wills cost more (typically GBP 150 to GBP 400 for standard wills) but include legal advice and are typically appropriate for more complex estates, blended families, or where trusts are involved.
Key facts
- Online wills typically cost GBP 30 to GBP 100; some are free with a charitable donation request.
- Solicitor wills typically cost GBP 150 to GBP 400 for standard cases; complex wills cost GBP 500 to GBP 2,000+.
- Will writers (not solicitors) operate in the UK and may follow their own professional codes; they are not regulated as solicitors.
- Solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and carry compulsory professional indemnity insurance.
- STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) is the main professional body for specialist trust and estate practitioners.
Online wills
Online will services use a form-filling interface to capture the testator's preferences and produce a will draft. The cost is low (GBP 30 to GBP 100 typically). Some services offer free wills in exchange for a charitable donation. Online wills are typically downloaded for signing and witnessing in the standard way.
Where online wills suit
Online wills suit:
simple estates with standard provisions (everything to spouse then children);
cohabiting couples making mirror wills with no minor or vulnerable beneficiaries;
singles with straightforward asset distribution;
testators comfortable with the technology and unlikely to need advice.
Where online wills do not suit
Online wills are typically not appropriate for:
blended families with potentially competing inheritance interests;
estates needing trusts (life interest, discretionary, for minor or vulnerable beneficiaries);
significant assets approaching or above the IHT thresholds;
business assets or interests in family companies;
cross-border situations with foreign property or non-UK spouses;
any case requiring legal advice on specific provisions.
Solicitor wills
Solicitor wills are drafted by qualified solicitors regulated by the SRA. The process typically involves a meeting (in person or video) to discuss the testator's circumstances and wishes, with a draft sent for review before signing.
Costs
Standard solicitor wills typically cost GBP 150 to GBP 400. Mirror wills for a couple may be discounted to GBP 250 to GBP 500. Complex wills with trusts, business interests, or cross-border elements typically cost GBP 500 to GBP 2,000 or more. Some solicitors offer fixed-fee will-writing services; others charge by the hour.
Will writers
Will writers (not solicitors) operate in the UK. They are not regulated as solicitors but may belong to a professional body (the Institute of Professional Willwriters, the Society of Will Writers). They typically charge GBP 50 to GBP 250 for a standard will. They are not regulated to the same standard as solicitors and do not carry the same professional indemnity insurance.
STEP qualifications
For complex or high-value estates, a STEP-qualified practitioner (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) is typically preferred. STEP qualifications require examination and experience, and members must follow STEP's code of conduct.
Storage and updates
Both online and solicitor wills should be stored where executors can find them. Solicitors typically offer free storage in their strong room and a copy provided to the client. Online services often offer storage as an add-on.
Updating
Online wills can typically be updated through the same online service. Solicitor wills are updated by a new will or codicil. The need to update arises after marriage, divorce, birth of children, deaths of beneficiaries, and material asset changes.
The IHT regime: rates, bands, and reliefs
UK inheritance tax is charged at 40 percent on estates above the available nil-rate bands under the Inheritance Tax Act 1984. The standard nil-rate band is GBP 325,000 per individual, frozen until 2030 under successive Budget announcements. The residence nil-rate band (RNRB) of up to GBP 175,000 applies where a qualifying residential interest passes to direct descendants on death.
Both bands are transferable between spouses and civil partners. A married couple or civil partners can therefore shelter up to GBP 1 million on the second death where the home passes to direct descendants. The RNRB tapers above GBP 2 million of estate value, reducing by GBP 1 for every GBP 2 of estate over the threshold and being extinguished entirely for estates above GBP 2.35 million (or GBP 2.7 million in the transferable case).
Where at least 10 percent of the estate (after exemptions and the nil-rate band) is left to charity, the IHT rate on the rest of the estate falls to 36 percent from 40 percent. The reduced rate is intended to incentivise charitable legacy planning and has been used widely since its introduction in 2012.
Lifetime gifts and the 7-year rule
Gifts during lifetime above the annual exemptions are potentially exempt transfers (PETs) and fall outside the estate after 7 years. Gifts made between 3 and 7 years before death benefit from taper relief on any tax above the available nil-rate band: 20 percent reduction in IHT for gifts 3 to 4 years before death, rising to 80 percent reduction for gifts 6 to 7 years before death.
The annual exemptions cover smaller gifts without using the 7-year clock. Each individual has a GBP 3,000 annual exemption per tax year (which can be carried forward one year if unused). Small gifts up to GBP 250 per recipient per tax year are exempt. Wedding gifts are exempt: GBP 5,000 from each parent to a child marrying, GBP 2,500 from grandparents, GBP 1,000 from anyone else.
Gifts out of normal expenditure from surplus income are exempt without time limit if the donor establishes a regular pattern and retains a reasonable standard of living. The exemption is particularly useful for high earners with surplus income they wish to pass to family on a regular basis. Documentation establishing the regular pattern is essential for the exemption to apply in practice.
Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief
Business Property Relief (BPR) reduces the IHT value of qualifying business assets by 50 or 100 percent. The 100 percent relief applies to interests in an unincorporated business, shares in an unquoted trading company, and shares in a quoted trading company where the deceased had control. The 50 percent relief applies to controlling shareholdings in quoted trading companies and certain other assets used in a business.
Agricultural Property Relief (APR) reduces the IHT value of agricultural property by 100 or 50 percent. The 100 percent relief generally applies to owner-occupied farmland; the 50 percent relief applies to tenanted farmland under certain conditions. The relief covers the agricultural value, not necessarily the full market value where development potential exists.
The Autumn Statement 2024 announced reforms to BPR and APR from April 2026, including a GBP 1 million combined cap on 100 percent BPR/APR. Above the cap, relief reduces to 50 percent. The reforms are being implemented through Finance Bill legislation and are expected to reshape estate planning for business owners and farmers significantly.
Wills, intestacy, and probate
A UK will must be in writing, signed by the testator, and witnessed by two adults present at the same time under section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. Beneficiary witnesses (or their spouses) invalidate the gift to the beneficiary under section 15, though the rest of the will stands. Marriage automatically revokes a prior will unless made in contemplation of the new marriage; divorce treats gifts to the former spouse as if they predeceased.
Intestacy rules under the Administration of Estates Act 1925 (as amended) follow a statutory hierarchy where there is no valid will: spouse and civil partner first with a statutory legacy of GBP 322,000 for deaths from 26 July 2023; then biological and adopted children sharing the residue; then more remote relatives. Step-children are not included in the intestacy hierarchy.
Probate is the process of obtaining authority to administer the estate. The executors named in the will apply to the Probate Registry; where there is no will, letters of administration are granted to the next-of-kin. The Probate Registry application fee is GBP 300 from January 2022 for estates above GBP 5,000. Solicitor probate fees typically run from 1 to 3 percent of estate value for full probate services.
Trusts in estate planning
UK trusts are widely used in estate planning. Bare trusts give the beneficiary an immediate absolute interest. Interest in possession trusts give a beneficiary a right to income with capital passing later. Discretionary trusts give trustees discretion over which beneficiaries to benefit and when. Most lifetime trusts (other than bare trusts and disabled persons trusts) fall within the relevant property regime: entry charges of up to 20 percent on creation, periodic 10-year charges of up to 6 percent, and proportionate exit charges.
Will trusts (created on death by the will) include life interest trusts giving a surviving spouse a right to occupy the family home with capital passing to children later, and discretionary trusts giving trustees flexibility over how the estate is distributed. Will trusts have their own tax treatment that depends on the structure.
The Trust Registration Service operated by HMRC under the EU Fifth Money Laundering Directive requires most UK trusts to register with HMRC. Beneficial ownership information is held on the register, accessible to law enforcement and certain other authorities. Limited exemptions apply for some trust types.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information on UK online and solicitor wills and is not a recommendation of any specific service. Each situation differs; complex or high-value estates typically warrant specialist solicitor or STEP advice.
Frequently asked questions
Are online wills legally valid?
Yes if they meet the Wills Act 1837 requirements (in writing, signed, witnessed by two adults).
Is a solicitor will always better than an online will?
For straightforward estates, an online will can be adequate. For complex estates, blended families, or trusts, a solicitor will is typically preferred.
What is the difference between a solicitor and a will writer?
A solicitor is regulated by the SRA and carries compulsory professional indemnity. A will writer may belong to a trade body but is not regulated to the same standard.
Can a will be made over the phone or video?
The drafting can be done remotely. The signing and witnessing must follow the Wills Act requirements (two witnesses present at the same time, signing in the testator's presence).
How often should a will be updated?
After material life events (marriage, divorce, children, deaths) and as a general matter every 3 to 5 years.
Frequently asked questions
Are online wills legally valid?
Yes if they meet the Wills Act 1837 requirements (in writing, signed, witnessed by two adults).
Is a solicitor will always better than an online will?
For straightforward estates, an online will can be adequate. For complex estates, a solicitor will is typically preferred.
What is the difference between a solicitor and a will writer?
A solicitor is regulated by the SRA and carries compulsory professional indemnity. A will writer may belong to a trade body but is not regulated to the same standard.
Can a will be made over the phone or video?
The drafting can be done remotely. The signing and witnessing must follow the Wills Act requirements.
How often should a will be updated?
After material life events and as a general matter every 3 to 5 years.
