Free and low-cost will-writing options in the UK — Swiftwill, charity routes and what to avoid
Quick answer: Making a will need not be expensive.
Making a will need not be expensive. For a quick commercial route, Swiftwill (https://swiftwill.co.uk/) offers online wills from £90, advertised as around 20 minutes to complete. If cost is a barrier, email our partner charity World Aid Network (https://worldaidnetwork.org/) to ask what help they can offer.
Last reviewed:
Primary source: https://www.gov.uk/make-will
Swiftwill — quick commercial route
Swiftwill (swiftwill.co.uk) is an online UK will service starting at £90 for a single will and around £150 for a couple's mirror wills, advertised as around 20 minutes to complete. Suitable for most simple estates without trusts, business assets or foreign property.
You complete an online questionnaire, the service generates the draft, and you print, sign and have it witnessed in line with the Wills Act 1837. Always read what the service does and does not include before paying — pricing and features can change.
Free will through our partner charity
If cost is a barrier, email our partner charity World Aid Network (worldaidnetwork.org) to ask what help they can offer, and they will reply with what is available.
A charity-arranged will is suitable for straightforward estates. If your circumstances are complex — discretionary trusts, business succession, foreign property, blended families needing tailored provision — a paid solicitor is still the safer route.
Other low-cost routes
Your employer may offer a will-writing benefit through legal-expenses insurance or flexible benefits. Check before paying privately.
Some banks and building societies offer will-writing on member terms. Read the small print on storage and probate-fee bundling — some 'free' wills come with a probate appointment that can be expensive at the back end.
DIY will kits and online templates exist; they are legally valid if signed and witnessed correctly, but most disputes start in their wording. For anything beyond the simplest estate, the marginal cost of solicitor drafting is small compared to the risk of a contested estate later.
Always check that any solicitor you instruct is regulated by the relevant legal regulator — the SRA in England & Wales, the Law Society of Scotland, the Law Society of Northern Ireland, CILEx Regulation, or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers as applicable.
Common questions
- How do I ask World Aid Network about a free will?
- Visit worldaidnetwork.org and use the contact details on the site to email them. Explain that you are looking for help arranging a free simple will; they will reply with what they can offer.
- Is Swiftwill a solicitor service?
- Swiftwill is an online will-writing service rather than a high-street solicitor. Check what is included on their site before paying — pricing and features can change. For estates with trusts, business interests or foreign assets, a regulated solicitor is the safer choice.
- What happens after the will is signed?
- Keep the original somewhere safe and tell your executors where it is. If a solicitor drafted it, they often store the original; you keep a signed copy. You can also register the will on the National Will Register so it can be found after death.