What could one will cost over time?
This illustration adds optional annual update charges to one single will. It assumes the recorded prices stay unchanged. It is not a quote, a forecast or a ranking of equivalent services.
Showing 5 years, with modelled annual update charges.
| Provider | Illustrated total | Calculation and limits |
|---|---|---|
| SwiftWillAutomated checks; no individual solicitor reviewPrice record: 24 September 2026 | £35 | £35 + 5 × £0. No annual update charge for the same people with a recovery file and matching order. |
| FreeWillsAdvertises a solicitor check for every willPrice record: 24 September 2026 | £0 | £0 + 5 × £0. Free will and free updates; excludes any optional purchases. |
| TenMinuteWillIndividual check by a professionally qualified will writer after purchasePrice record: 24 September 2026 | Not modelled | Recurring cost not modelled. Published update terms: Unlimited free updates for 60 days; then 20% off a new document. |
| Make a Will OnlineIndividual solicitor checkPrice record: 24 September 2026 | £110 | £60 + 5 × £10. Uses the homepage’s 28-day introductory period and £10 annual offer; confirm checkout terms because the FAQ says up to 30 days. Both periods result in five payments during five years. |
| ClearLegacyAutomated check against the Wills Act 1837; the founder checks anything it flagsPrice record: 6 October 2026 | Not modelled | Recurring cost not modelled. Published update terms: One free update; later changes are a full rewrite at the standard price. |
| Which? WillsSelf-service or separately priced specialist-review packagePrice record: 24 September 2026 | Not modelled | Recurring cost not modelled. Published update terms: No update subscription published; the service page says later changes can be made by codicil. |
| FarewillSpecialist document check; terms exclude substantive legal advicePrice record: 24 September 2026 | Not modelled | Recurring cost not modelled. Published update terms: Optional subscription advertised at £10/year; confirm any introductory period and subscribe within 30 days under current terms. |
| Co-op Legal ServicesSRA-regulated service with follow-up call to finalise the willPrice record: 24 September 2026 | Not modelled | Recurring cost not modelled. Published update terms: Ask for a quote for the changes you need; no annual update price modelled. |
| Octopus LegacyLegal expert reviewPrice record: 24 September 2026 | £190 | £150 + 4 × £10. First year included; four annual £10 update charges in a five-year illustration. |
| MyIntentLegal advice in a video appointment with a law firm or MyIntent’s legal teamPrice record: 24 September 2026 | Not modelled | Recurring cost not modelled. Published update terms: No update subscription or amendment price published; ask the adviser who prepares the will. |
Subscriptions are optional, not a requirement to keep an existing signed will. Switching this option off removes all future update charges from the calculation; it does not promise free future amendments. The illustration counts annual charges during the chosen period and stops before renewal at its end. Make a Will Online’s 28-day introductory period is shorter than a year, so the five-year example includes five payments. Update offers that are not an annual fee, such as a free period followed by a discounted new will, are shown as not modelled rather than as zero. Couples’ subscription units have not been assumed.
Price records checked 24 September 2026 to 6 October 2026; each row shows its own date. Read the sources, assumptions and methodology before using these figures.
How is the illustration calculated?
Each total is the published single-will price plus the yearly update fee for every year of the period after any full free years. A free period shorter than a year counts as no free years, and the fee for the renewal that falls at the end of the period is not counted. Prices are assumed not to change. For a 5-year period with updates switched on, that gives:
- SwiftWill: £35 + 5 × £0 = £35. No annual update charge for the same people with a recovery file and matching order.
- Make a Will Online: £60 + 5 × £10 = £110. Uses the homepage’s 28-day introductory period and £10 annual offer; confirm checkout terms because the FAQ says up to 30 days. Both periods result in five payments during five years.
- Octopus Legacy: £150 + 4 × £10 = £190. First year included; four annual £10 update charges in a five-year illustration.
These are illustrations for one person, not quotes. Couples’ subscriptions are not modelled because providers charge them differently.
Why are some services not modelled?
Their update terms are not a simple yearly fee, the introductory period could not be confirmed, or no update price was published. Rather than show those services as free over time, the calculator marks them “Not modelled” and shows their published terms:
- TenMinuteWill: Unlimited free updates for 60 days; then 20% off a new document.
- ClearLegacy: One free update; later changes are a full rewrite at the standard price.
- Which? Wills: No update subscription published; the service page says later changes can be made by codicil.
- Farewill: Optional subscription advertised at £10/year; confirm any introductory period and subscribe within 30 days under current terms.
- Co-op Legal Services: Ask for a quote for the changes you need; no annual update price modelled.
- MyIntent: No update subscription or amendment price published; ask the adviser who prepares the will.
Why is there no solicitor figure?
No official source publishes what a solicitor charges for a will, and we do not use estimates we cannot source. The SRA Transparency Rules (version in effect from 11 April 2025) require regulated firms to publish costs for services such as residential conveyancing and uncontested estate administration, but will writing is not included. The CMA’s guidance gives no price range and suggests getting quotes from at least three will writers. Our guide to online wills and solicitors explains what a solicitor adds for the higher fee.
What should you ask a solicitor to include in the quote?
- The number of wills, the people covered and whether VAT is included.
- The facts and advice covered, including any property, family, trust or tax issues.
- Meetings, drafting, review, signing assistance and the delivery timetable.
- How amendments are priced, and whether printing or storage is optional.
- The complaints process and the professional regulation that applies.
The CMA’s guidance on buying will-writing services adds that you should check what a one-off fee includes, whether an hourly rate has an agreed limit and what you will pay in total, and keep a copy of the quote. For complicated circumstances, start with whether you need individual advice.
Why are executor fees excluded?
Writing a will and administering an estate after a death are different services. A professional executor may charge a fixed fee, an hourly rate, a percentage, or a combination. The fee depends on the agreement and estate; appointing a professional is not compulsory simply because they prepare the will. The CMA notes that the estate is charged when the service is eventually needed and that you can name a family member instead, who can take professional advice later if they need it.
What should you compare after the headline price?
Read the source-linked provider details for updates, printing, storage and cancellation, and the cheapest online will comparison for what lower prices leave out. If you are exploring a route with no upfront preparation fee, use the free will options finder. SwiftWill’s £35 single will has no annual update fee and does not include individual solicitor review.
Sources
- Provider prices and update terms: the sources linked in the calculator and on our comparison page
- Competition and Markets Authority: what to consider when buying will writing services (published 9 October 2024)
- SRA Transparency Rules
Provider price records checked 24 September 2026 to 6 October 2026; see each provider’s date in the calculator. General cost guidance was checked on 24 September 2026.