Of all the interactions you’ll have with a solicitor, getting a will is probably the least expensive. Yet it can still be expensive.
According to the UK Care Guide, making a will can cost anywhere from £150 up to £500 depending on how simple or complex it is. That’s a lot of money for a simple piece of paper!
You can get them for free though.
Well, technically not free, but you don’t have to pay for them right away.
You could do it yourself online for around £50 but this has its own issues. You’ll need to safely store it and make its presence known to family and friends.
It may not be legally binding so you’ll need to double check before using an online service.
Or, you could still use a solicitor but pay less for the privilege using Free Wills Month or Will Aid.
Free Wills Month
Free Wills Month is a national campaign designed to encourage people to get a will and making it accessible to do so.
Held every October and March, Free Wills Month enables anyone over 55 to contact a participating solicitor and have a will drafted for free.
The will is technically free of charge but there is an expectation you’ll donate to a charity through your will in return.
Hundreds of law firms across the country participate in Free Wills Month so should be accessible and readily available wherever you might live.
It’s first come, first served so you’ll need to plan in advance and book early to make sure you get in.
Contact a participating solicitor, mention Free Wills Month and make an appointment based on that.
The solicitor will draft your will and you bequeath a donation to charity in return.
You can have a single or mirror will drafted and it will have the same legal standing as any other will.
Donations are purely voluntary but strongly encouraged. You won’t have to pay right away. Instead, you’ll bequest (leave) an amount to your chosen charity in your will.
Will Aid
Will Aid is similar to Free Wills Month and runs every November. You can have a will drafted by a solicitor in return for giving £100 to a chosen charity.
Eligible charities include ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, SCIAF, Sightsavers and Trócaire.
Contact a participating solicitor before 30th November to book your appointment and have a basic single will or mirror will created on your behalf.
The will has the same legal standing as any will and is exactly the same. It’s just how you pay for it that’s different.
Again, donations are purely voluntary but single basic wills typically attract a donation of £100 and mirror wills £180. If you cannot afford that, you can leave less with no compromise on the will.
Other charity will offers
Some charities also run free will offers in return for you bequeathing them something in the will.
Cancer Research UK, The Stroke Association, The Children’s Hospital, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Amnesty International, British Academy, Children with Cancer, Dignity in Dying, Guide Dogs, Independent Age, Liberty, Macmillan Cancer Support, Oxfam, Shelter, the Soil Association and other charities offer a free solicitor-drafted will in return for you leaving them something.
The amount you leave is entirely up to you, but recommended donations are £100 for a single will and £180 for a mirror will.
Cheap wills
I strongly recommend getting a will. If you own property or a business, are likely to leave money, have brothers and sisters or multiple children, you definitely need a will.
If it’s the cost putting you off, now is the perfect time to get one. You can schedule a free will at the given times with Free Will Month and Will Aid. You don’t even have to have the appointment in those months, just make the appointment.
In return for a modest amount left to a charity in your will, you get a completely free will that’s completely legally binding.
What’s more, you get to help out a charity at the same time and you won’t even miss the money!
