---
title: "Solicitor vs online will cost"
description: "Compare 20-year cost of a high-street solicitor will against SwiftWill's £35 once with free lifetime updates."
url: "https://swiftwill.co.uk/tools/solicitor-cost-calculator/"
author: "Marcus Kaiser"
date_modified: "2026-08-12"
---

# Solicitor vs online will cost

Compare the true 20-year cost of making a will with a high-street solicitor (£400+ initial, £150 per update, £30/yr storage, 2.5% executor fee) vs SwiftWill (£35 once, free updates for life, £0 hidden fees).

> SwiftWill provides legal information and software for England & Wales under Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. Figures are taken from gov.uk, legislation.gov.uk and HMCTS, checked 12 August 2026. We have not given you legal advice — this is general information.

## What are the hidden costs of a solicitor will?

Most people look at the upfront price tag of a Will (£150 to £400 with a solicitor), but fail to calculate the ongoing costs across a lifetime:

- **Update Fees:** Life changes (marriage, birth of children, buying a house, moving) require Will updates. Solicitors charge £100–£200 for every codicil or re-draft. Farewill charges a £10/year ongoing subscription. SwiftWill updates are 100% free forever.
- **Document Storage Fees:** Many companies charge £20–£40 per year to store a piece of paper in a safe. You can store your Will at home or deposit it with HMCTS Probate Service for a one-off £33 fee.
- **Corporate Executor Trap:** The biggest hidden cost. Banks and solicitors often insert themselves as executors, taking 2.5%–5% of your total estate upon your death. On a £400,000 estate, that is £10,000–£20,000 lost from your family's inheritance.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why do solicitors charge so much for simple wills?

High-street solicitors carry heavy office overheads and bill by the hour (£200-£400/hr). For a standard estate in England and Wales, document-preparation software produces identical legally binding results under Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 for £35.

### What is a professional executor fee and why is it dangerous?

If a solicitor or bank names themselves as a professional executor in your will, they charge 2.5% to 5% of your total estate value upon your death. On a £350,000 house, that takes £8,750+ directly from your children's inheritance. SwiftWill never inserts corporate executors.

### How does SwiftWill offer free lifetime updates for £35?

We built modern document automation software. Because updating your answers and regenerating your PDF takes zero human manual drafting, we pass those savings on to you: updates are free for life, forever.

Canonical HTML: https://swiftwill.co.uk/tools/solicitor-cost-calculator/
Markdown: https://swiftwill.co.uk/tools/solicitor-cost-calculator.md
Last modified: 2026-08-12
Author: Marcus Kaiser (https://swiftwill.co.uk/author/marcus-kaiser/)