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A will writing service is usually cheaper and faster, but a solicitor gives you legal accountability that an unregulated will writer can't. Here's how to work out which one suits your estate.
A will writing service is usually the cheaper and quicker option for a simple estate, but it isn't a regulated profession in England and Wales, so you have limited recourse if something goes wrong. A solicitor costs more but is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, giving you access to the Legal Ombudsman and professional indemnity insurance if a mistake is made.
As a general guide:
Both a will writer and a solicitor can produce a legally valid will under the Wills Act 1837, provided it's correctly signed and witnessed. The real difference lies in what happens if the drafting goes wrong, not whether the document itself is valid.
If you're weighing up a will writing service vs solicitor UK comparison, the difference is less about quality and more about regulation. A will writing service is a specialist provider, often cheaper than a solicitor, but it isn't a regulated profession in England and Wales. A solicitor is a qualified lawyer, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, with professional indemnity insurance and access to the Legal Ombudsman if something goes wrong.
Many will writers belong to voluntary professional bodies, most commonly the Society of Will Writers (SWW) or the Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW). Membership isn't compulsory, so it's worth checking before you instruct anyone.
The SWW is a voluntary trade body that sets a code of practice for its members, including minimum professional indemnity insurance and a complaints process. Membership gives you some protection, but it only applies if your will writer has actually joined - and many haven't, because there's no legal requirement to.
When a solicitor writes your will, they're bound by rules from the Solicitors Regulation Authority covering competence, conduct, and compensation. If they make a mistake, you can complain to the Legal Ombudsman, and their professional indemnity insurance should cover any loss.
Here's how a will writing service and a solicitor compare side by side, from regulation and cost through to how complex an estate each can handle.
Not sure which route to take?
Every estate is different. Speak to an advisor about how your will fits into your wider financial plan, with no pressure to proceed.
The cost of writing a will depends on which route you choose and how complex your estate is. As a general guide, a will writing service typically costs less than a solicitor for the same type of will, though the gap narrows for more complex estates.
Online will writing platforms have also become popular, with basic single wills available from around £90. These sit alongside traditional will writing services and solicitors as a third option, particularly for simpler estates.
What drives the cost within each category is largely the same: the number of beneficiaries, whether you're including trusts, and the type and location of property in your estate. A will with a single beneficiary and one UK property will usually cost less than one splitting an estate between several people with a rental property and shares in a family business.
It's worth remembering that the cheapest option isn't always the best value. A poorly drafted will can lead to disputes during probate that cost your estate, and your beneficiaries, far more than you saved on the initial fee.
Typical costs
Yes. A will written by an unregulated will writer can be just as legally valid as one drafted by a solicitor, provided it's correctly executed under the Wills Act 1837. To be valid, a will must be in writing, signed by the person making it, and witnessed by two people who aren't beneficiaries or married to a beneficiary.
The risk with an unregulated will writer isn't usually about validity - it's about drafting errors that only come to light during probate, sometimes years later when they're much harder to fix.
If a will writer gets something wrong and they're not a member of a professional body, your options are very limited. There's no automatic professional indemnity insurance, and you can't complain to the Legal Ombudsman, because that route is only open to complaints about solicitors and other regulated legal professionals. Your main option would be civil litigation against the individual, which is often impractical and expensive relative to the loss involved.
If your will writer is a member of the Society of Will Writers or the Institute of Professional Willwriters, you can raise a complaint through their scheme, and members are required to hold indemnity insurance. This is why checking membership before you instruct anyone matters so much.
Always ask a will writer for proof of professional body membership and indemnity insurance before you pay anything. If they can't provide it, that's not proof something's wrong, but it is a sign you're taking on more risk than you might realise.
There's no single right answer to whether you need a will writing service or a solicitor - it depends on how straightforward your estate and family situation are.
For example, a couple in their 50s with one home, one marriage, and children from that marriage alone will usually be well served by a will writing service. Someone with a blended family, a share in a business, or property in Scotland is more likely to need the broader legal expertise a solicitor provides.
Marriage automatically revokes an existing will in England and Wales, and divorce affects how your will is interpreted even if it doesn't cancel it outright. Buying a new property, having children, or a significant change in your estate's value are all good reasons to review your will, whichever route you used to write it originally.
Decision framework
Will writing is not a reserved legal activity in England and Wales, which means anyone can legally set up as a will writer without any qualifications, training, or insurance. This is the single biggest thing that separates a will writing service from a solicitor, and it's worth understanding before you choose either.
Voluntary bodies such as the Society of Will Writers and the Institute of Professional Willwriters set standards for their members, including a code of practice, minimum indemnity insurance, and a complaints process. Membership is optional, so always verify it directly with the body rather than taking a provider's word for it.
The Law Society has lobbied for years for will writing to become a regulated activity, and the position continues to be reviewed by government. Until that changes, the responsibility for checking a provider's credentials sits with you.
This comparison focuses on England and Wales. Scotland has its own legal system for succession, governed by the Succession (Scotland) Act 1964, and different rules apply to executing a will. If you live in Scotland, speak to a Scottish solicitor rather than relying on this guide.
A will is one part of a bigger picture. Many people writing a will at the same time are also thinking about lasting power of attorney, inheritance tax exposure, and options like equity release explained if later life care costs become a factor. If a mortgage or another loan ends up secured against your home as part of that wider plan, remember that your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other debt secured on it.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by any of these decisions, or you're dealing with a bereavement alongside writing or updating a will, MoneyHelper (moneyhelper.org.uk, 0800 138 7777) offers free and impartial guidance and can point you toward further support.
See our guide on how much does a will cost in the UK for a fuller cost breakdown, or explore our wider guide to wills for over 50s for related planning topics.
Common questions
Many will writing services do a good job, and using one doesn't automatically mean your will is at risk. The key is checking whether the provider is a member of a recognised body like the Society of Will Writers or the Institute of Professional Willwriters, since membership means they hold professional indemnity insurance and follow a code of practice. If a provider can't confirm membership, that's worth asking more questions about before you commit.
Not necessarily. For a simple estate - one property, one marriage, children from that relationship only - a will writing service can produce a perfectly valid, well-drafted will at a lower cost. A solicitor becomes the better choice once your estate involves business assets, overseas property, a blended family, or values approaching the £325,000 nil-rate band, where the legal and tax implications are more complex.
Online will writing platforms are usually the cheapest route, with basic single wills available from around £90. Traditional will writing services typically cost £100-£300 for a simple will, similar to the lower end of solicitor pricing. Remember that the cheapest option isn't always the best value if your estate has any complexity, since drafting errors can cost far more to fix during probate than you saved upfront.
Not usually. If you have one property, are married or in a civil partnership, and your children are all from that relationship, a will writing service is often enough. It's still worth checking the provider's professional body membership and making sure the will is correctly signed and witnessed under the Wills Act 1837.
Yes. There's nothing stopping you from using a will writing service now and switching to a solicitor for a future update, or vice versa. It's worth reviewing your will whenever your circumstances change significantly, such as marriage, divorce, having children, or a notable change in the value of your estate.
A mirror will is a pair of matching wills, usually written for couples, where each partner leaves their estate to the other and often to the same beneficiaries after both have died. They're a common and cost-effective option for couples with straightforward, shared wishes, though they're less suitable for blended families where each partner may want different provisions for children from previous relationships.
No. Your will needs to be signed in the presence of two witnesses who are both over 18 and not beneficiaries (or married to a beneficiary) under the will, but those witnesses don't need to be solicitors or any kind of legal professional. Many will writing services and online platforms provide guidance on arranging witnesses correctly.
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