How much does a will cost in the UK?

A simple will costs £150–£300 via a solicitor, £20–£100 via online services like Farewill or Make a Will Online. Will Aid (November) and Free Wills Month (March + October, for over-55s) offer free or discounted wills via participating solicitors.

What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) lets you choose who makes decisions for you if you lose mental capacity. England and Wales have two types: Property & Financial (£82) and Health & Welfare (£82). You can make them online at gov.uk/lasting-power-of-attorney. Scotland uses Power of Attorney; Northern Ireland uses Enduring Power of Attorney.

What is Tell Us Once?

Tell Us Once is a free GOV.UK service that lets you notify most UK government departments of a death with one form. Covers HMRC, DWP, Passport Office, DVLA, local councils and more. Available after registering the death.

Probate (or letters of administration) is usually needed if the estate is worth more than £5,000–£10,000 (banks have different thresholds), includes property in the deceased's sole name, or includes investments. Application fee is £273 for estates over £5,000. Apply at gov.uk/applying-for-probate.

← Home Family protection

Sort the documents that protect your family.

Wills, Lasting Power of Attorney, funeral planning, Tell Us Once and probate — sorted in plain English with real UK costs, real helplines and real free routes. Most UK adults have none of these in place. The cost to fix that is often £0–£200.

60%UK adults without a will (Will Aid 2024)

1 in 3Over-65s without an LPA (Office of the Public Guardian)

£4,141Average UK funeral cost 2024 (SunLife)

£3,500Bereavement Support Payment lump (DWP)

1. Make a will

Without a will, the UK government's intestacy rules decide who inherits — which often isn't who you'd choose. Unmarried partners get nothing under intestacy in England and Wales.

£0 free routes

Will Aid (November) + Free Wills Month (March + October)

Will Aid runs every November — participating solicitors write a simple will for free in exchange for a suggested donation to charity (£100 single, £180 mirror wills). Free Wills Month runs in March and October for people aged 55+ — free wills via partner solicitors, no donation required.

Best route if you can wait: Will Aid November is the most reliable nationwide free option. Book your solicitor in October — slots fill fast.

£20–£100 online

Online will services

Use a regulated UK online will service when your situation is simple (no business, no overseas assets, no complex blended family). Real options:

Farewill — £100 single, £160 mirror. Solicitor-checked.
Make a Will Online — from £20 single will.
WhichWills (Which? Wills) — £99 single, member discount.
Co-op Legal Services — £150 single, fixed-fee solicitor-drafted.

Don't use "kits" without solicitor review. A home-made will signed wrongly (witnessed by a beneficiary, missing signatures, ambiguous wording) is the most common reason wills get challenged.

£150–£400 solicitor

Solicitor-drafted will (best for complex situations)

Use a solicitor if you have: children from a previous relationship, a business, property abroad, an estate over £325,000 (potential inheritance tax), or you want to protect assets from care fees. STEP-qualified solicitors specialise in this.

Find a STEP solicitor: step.org/public. Find a Law Society-regulated solicitor: solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk.

2. Lasting Power of Attorney

An LPA lets someone you trust make decisions for you if you lose capacity (stroke, dementia, serious illness). Without one, your family faces a 6–12 month Court of Protection process and frozen bank accounts.

£82 each · England + Wales

Two types — make both

Property & Financial Affairs LPA — bank accounts, bills, property, pensions. Can be used while you still have capacity if you want.
Health & Welfare LPA — medical treatment, care, where you live, life-sustaining treatment. Only used if you lose capacity.

Apply at gov.uk/power-of-attorney. The online tool guides you through it. Total cost for both: £164.

Fee exemption: Free if you earn under £12,000/year (gross) or claim certain benefits (Income Support, income-based JSA, UC under £12k, etc.). 50% off if income is £12,000–£18,000.

Scotland: Power of Attorney (Continuing + Welfare)

Register with the Office of the Public Guardian Scotland at publicguardian-scotland.gov.uk. £83 fee. Solicitor usually drafts (£100–£300 typical).

Northern Ireland: Enduring Power of Attorney

The biggest mistake: waiting until something happens. You can only make an LPA while you have capacity. After a serious stroke or dementia diagnosis, it's often too late — and your family has to go through Deputyship at the Court of Protection (£371 application fee + £494/year supervision + 6–12 months processing).

3. Funeral planning

Average UK funeral cost: £4,141 (SunLife Cost of Dying 2024). Direct cremation: £1,500–£2,500. Plan now and your family doesn't face the financial shock at the worst moment.

FCA-regulated since 2022

Pre-paid funeral plans

Since 29 July 2022, all UK pre-paid funeral plans must be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Only buy from an FCA-registered provider. Check the register at register.fca.org.uk.

Real FCA-regulated providers include: Co-op Funeralcare, Dignity, Golden Charter, Pure Cremation, Distinct Funeral Plans.

Don't buy unregulated. Pre-July-2022 plans from unregulated providers (Safe Hands, others) collapsed and left families with nothing. Always check the FCA register before paying.

Direct cremation (lowest cost)

Direct cremation skips the ceremony — body collected, cremated, ashes returned to family. Costs £1,500–£2,500. Real providers: Pure Cremation, Distinct, Aura Flame. Family can hold a separate memorial later (any place, any time, free).

DWP help if low income

Funeral Expenses Payment (England + Wales)

If you're responsible for a funeral and you (or partner) get UC, Income Support, JSA-IB, ESA-IB, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit (disability element) or Child Tax Credit — you may get help with: burial/cremation fees in full, plus up to £1,000 for other costs (coffin, hearse, flowers, fees).

Claim at gov.uk/funeral-payments. Apply within 6 months of the funeral.

Scotland: Funeral Support Payment

Scottish equivalent paid by Social Security Scotland — £1,257.75 standard rate plus actual burial/cremation costs. Apply at mygov.scot/funeral-support-payment.

4. After a death — the first 14 days

A simple checklist if you're handling the admin after losing someone. Free helplines that actually help: Cruse Bereavement 0808 808 1677 · Citizens Advice 0800 144 8848.

Get a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death

The doctor or hospital provides this. You need it to register the death.

Register the death (within 5 days England/Wales, 8 days Scotland)

Free. Book a slot at your local register office via gov.uk/register-a-death. Take the medical certificate, NHS card and ID if you have them. You get a Certificate for Burial or Cremation (the "green form") and can buy extra death certificates (~£12.50 each — get 5–10 copies, banks and insurers need originals).

Tell Us Once

At the same appointment, ask to use Tell Us Once. One free notification covers HMRC, DWP, Passport Office, DVLA, councils, electoral register and more. Saves hours of phone calls.

Claim Bereavement Support Payment (if eligible)

If you were married/civil-partnered to someone under State Pension age who paid 25 weeks of National Insurance — £3,500 lump (higher rate, with children) or £2,500 (no children) plus £350/month or £100/month for 18 months. Apply within 3 months for full amount. gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment.

Arrange the funeral

If they had a pre-paid plan, contact the provider first. If not, get 2–3 quotes from local funeral directors — costs vary by £1,000+ for the same service. The National Association of Funeral Directors (nafd.org.uk) is the main regulated body.

Find the will + check if probate is needed

Check filing cabinets, safe deposit boxes, solicitor's office. The National Will Register (Certainty) is searchable. Probate needed if estate is over bank thresholds (varies, often £5k–£10k), includes property in deceased's sole name, or includes most investments. Apply at gov.uk/applying-for-probate — £273 fee for estates over £5k. Citizens Advice can help free.

5. Where to store the originals

A will or LPA that nobody can find is no use. Tell your executor where to look.

Will: register on the National Will Register (Certainty — £30 one-off). Keep the original with your solicitor or in a fireproof home safe. Give your executor a copy and tell them where the original is.
LPA: register with the Office of the Public Guardian when you make it (online tool). Your attorneys get a copy. Originals go in your home safe or with solicitor.
Funeral plan: tell your next of kin the provider name and policy number. Put it with your will.
Letter of wishes: not legally binding but tells executors what you want — funeral style, who gets specific items, passwords for digital accounts. Keep with the will.

Honest note about this guide SortedUK is not a solicitor, regulated will-writer or funeral director. The information above is sourced to GOV.UK / DWP / FCA register / Office of the Public Guardian / SunLife Cost of Dying 2024 and verified at time of publication. For free legal help: Citizens Advice 0800 144 8848 · Age UK 0800 678 1602 (over-60s) · Cruse Bereavement Care 0808 808 1677. For solicitor-quality advice on complex estates: STEP qualified solicitor (step.org/public). For Will Aid + Free Wills Month booking, contact participating solicitors directly via willaid.org.uk and freewillsmonth.org.uk.

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