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Can You Get a Will for Free in the UK?

· 12 min

Margaret, 62, had been meaning to write a will for years. When an Age UK email offered a free solicitor-drafted will through Free Wills Month, she thought her problem was solved. Six months later, after three appointment attempts, seasonal closures, and being told her £420,000 estate was "too complex" for the free scheme, Margaret still had no will.

She'd wasted half a year waiting for "free" when she could have had a complete, legally valid will in 15 minutes for £99.99.

Margaret's story isn't unique. According to 2024 research from Canada Life, 50% of UK adults have no will. While free will services exist in the UK and serve an important purpose for specific groups, they come with significant limitations that leave many people either ineligible, waiting months, or paying more in the end.

This article reveals the truth about free wills in the UK: what's genuinely available, who qualifies, what the catches are, and when a low-cost paid service like WUHLD actually saves you time, stress, and potentially thousands in avoided complications.

Table of Contents

The Truth About Free Wills in the UK: What's Actually Available

Yes, you can get a will for free in the UK. But "free" comes with conditions that many people don't discover until they're already invested in the process.

Three main legitimate schemes offer free will writing in the UK. Free Wills Month runs twice yearly in March and October, offering solicitor-drafted wills to people aged 55 and over. The scheme has been running since 2005 and is funded by over 20 participating charities who hope you'll consider leaving them a legacy gift.

Will Aid operates differently. Each November, hundreds of solicitors across the UK waive their normal fees and invite clients to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid instead. The suggested donation is £120 for a single will or £200 for mirror wills in 2025, supporting eight partner charities including Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Crisis, and Shelter.

The third option is the National Free Wills Network, which connects more than 250 UK charities with over 1,000 participating law firms year-round. Charities including Oxfam, RNLI, Shelter, and UNICEF offer their supporters free simple wills through this network.

Free online will templates also exist, but they carry substantial legal risks we'll examine in detail later.

These schemes are legitimate and valuable for certain groups. But understanding the eligibility criteria and limitations is crucial before relying on them.

Free Wills Month Explained: Who Qualifies and How It Works

Free Wills Month runs during March and October each year. But you can't just book an appointment—you need to meet specific criteria.

Eligibility requirements:

  • You must be 55 or older (or in a couple where one person is 55+)
  • You must have a UK address
  • Your estate must be considered "simple" (typically estates under the £325,000 inheritance tax threshold)
  • Your will can't involve complex arrangements like business succession or overseas assets

Here's what "simple" actually means: one property, straightforward beneficiaries, no business interests, no overseas assets, and no complex trusts. The solicitor makes the final determination, and many people discover midway through the process that they don't qualify.

How it works:

  1. Visit the Free Wills Month website during campaign months
  2. Select a participating charity from the list
  3. Enter your postcode to find participating solicitors near you
  4. Book an appointment (in-person or by phone)
  5. The solicitor drafts your will at no cost to you
  6. The charity pays the solicitor's fee

Participating charities include Age UK, Alzheimer's Research UK, Breast Cancer Now, British Heart Foundation, Dogs Trust, Guide Dogs, Marie Curie, Mencap, Mind, National Trust, NSPCC, PDSA, Prostate Cancer UK, RNLI, Royal British Legion, Stroke Association, Versus Arthritis, and WWF.

There's an important clarification: you are NOT legally required to leave anything to charity. The charities fund the scheme hoping you'll consider them, but there's absolutely no obligation.

David, 58, owns a £280,000 house and has £45,000 in savings. He wants to leave everything to his wife, then to their two adult children. This is a perfect Free Wills Month candidate—simple estate, over 55, straightforward wishes.

But here's the reality: appointments are limited and allocated first-come, first-served. Campaigns often close before the end of the month when solicitors reach capacity. Rural areas may have no participating solicitors within reasonable distance.

Will Aid UK: The November Alternative

Will Aid offers a different approach to free will writing, and it's been running since 1988.

The key difference? No age restriction. Whether you're 25 or 75, you can use Will Aid during November.

Here's how it works: participating solicitors volunteer their time throughout November, waiving their normal fees. Instead of paying the solicitor, you're invited to make a voluntary donation directly to Will Aid.

The suggested donations for 2025 are:

  • £120 for a single basic will
  • £200 for mirror wills (a pair of wills for couples)

These donations are divided between eight partner charities: Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, SCIAF (Scotland), Trócaire (Northern Ireland), Crisis, and Shelter.

Is the donation mandatory? Technically no, but the scheme relies on these voluntary donations to support the charities. Most solicitors make it clear they expect a donation if you use the service.

The same "simple will" limitation applies. If your situation involves property portfolios, complex family structures, or business interests, you may be told you need to pay the solicitor's full fee instead.

Here's the comparison point people miss: if you're willing to donate £120 for a basic will, WUHLD costs £99.99 and gives you immediate access year-round, free unlimited updates forever, and four documents instead of one. You're not tied to November appointments, and you can complete your will in 15 minutes online rather than scheduling solicitor visits.

Individual Charity Free Will Schemes Year-Round

Beyond the seasonal campaigns, individual charities offer free will writing throughout the year.

More than 250 charities participate in the National Free Wills Network, partnering with over 1,000 law firms across the UK. With participating solicitors an average of 3.5 miles from each donor, access is generally good in most areas.

Charities offering these schemes include Alzheimer's Research UK, Amnesty International, British Academy, Children with Cancer, Dignity in Dying, Guide Dogs, Liberty, Oxfam, RNLI, Shelter, UNICEF, Plan International UK, NSPCC, HEART UK, and Mencap.

Eligibility varies by charity. Some require you to be an existing supporter or donor. Others have minimum age requirements. All expect you're considering leaving a charitable legacy, though again, there's no legal obligation.

The process typically takes 2-6 weeks from initial request to completed will. You contact the charity, they refer you to a participating solicitor in your area, and you arrange an appointment.

Emma, 61, has supported Dogs Trust for 15 years. She qualifies for their free will scheme and plans to leave 10% of her estate to the charity. This is an excellent fit—she's already a committed supporter, her estate is simple, and she genuinely wants to include a charitable gift.

But if you're not already planning a legacy gift, or if you need your will urgently, or if your estate exceeds the "simple" threshold, these schemes may not serve you well.

The Hidden Costs and Catches of Free Will Services

"Free" rarely means free in the long run. Here are the costs charity will schemes don't advertise prominently.

Executor fees can dwarf the cost of paying for a will upfront. Some free will providers encourage you to appoint them or their partner company as executor. Professional executor fees typically range from 2-5% of your estate value.

Robert got a free will through a charity scheme and appointed the provider as executor. When he died, his £380,000 estate was charged £14,250 in executor fees—3.75% of the total value. That's 143 times more than a £99.99 will would have cost.

Storage costs accumulate over time. Some providers charge £10-30 annually to store your will securely. Over 20 years, that's £200-600. WUHLD includes free digital storage plus posts you a physical copy at no additional charge.

Updates and amendments cost solicitor rates. Your free will is free once. When you need to update it because you've had another child, moved house, or want to change executors, you'll pay full solicitor fees of £150-300 per update.

With WUHLD, updates are unlimited and free for life. Your circumstances change, your will adapts at no cost.

The "complexity surcharge" catches people off guard. Claire, 47, started the free will process in October. Her estate was valued at £340,000—just £15,000 over the typical simple will threshold. Halfway through, the solicitor said she'd need to pay £450 to complete the will or start over. She paid rather than lose her progress.

Limited availability creates urgency and inconvenience. Free Wills Month runs only in March and October. Will Aid runs only in November. Miss these windows, and you wait months for another opportunity.

Appointment slots fill quickly—often within the first week of the campaign. If you're not ready to act immediately when the campaign launches, you may miss out entirely.

Geographic limitations exclude many people. Not all postcodes have participating solicitors. Rural areas are particularly underserved. You may need to travel 30+ miles for an appointment, factoring in time off work and travel costs.

Free isn't always the best value when you calculate the total cost of limitations, waiting times, hidden fees, and lost opportunities.

Dozens of websites offer free will templates you can download, fill in, and sign. They can be legally valid—but the risks are substantial.

A will is legally valid in the UK if it meets three requirements: you're 18 or older with mental capacity, you sign it voluntarily, and two independent witnesses watch you sign. A free template can meet these requirements if you execute it properly.

But here's where free templates become dangerous.

No legal review means errors go undetected. Templates may contain outdated legal language, inapplicable clauses, or fundamental structural errors. You won't discover these problems until after your death when your family tries to use the will.

No customization means your wishes may not be captured accurately. Generic wording can't reflect your specific family situation, complex assets, or particular wishes. The template doesn't know about your unmarried partner who inherits nothing under intestacy rules, your estranged child you want to exclude, or your digital assets worth thousands.

No guidance means critical mistakes are easy. People name beneficiaries incorrectly, forget to include a residuary clause (causing partial intestacy), appoint inappropriate guardians, or invalidate the will through improper execution.

James downloaded a free template and named his "brother John" as beneficiary. He had two brothers: John and Jonathan (who went by John). After James died, a two-year legal battle cost his estate £23,000 to resolve which John was intended.

Contest risk increases with poor drafting. Research shows that 49% of UK adults have no will, but a poorly drafted free template can actually be worse than no will at all. Ambiguous wording invites challenges. Missing clauses create loopholes. Contested will cases cost £10,000-50,000+ in legal fees.

Free templates are free for a reason—no lawyer stakes their professional reputation on them. No one reviews your completed will to ensure it actually works. No one answers your questions about guardian selection or executor responsibilities.

If you're investing time in creating a will, invest £99.99 to ensure it actually protects your family.

Who Should Use Free Will Services (And Who Shouldn't)

Let's be honest about who free services genuinely suit.

You should use free charity schemes if:

You're over 55 with a simple estate (typically under the £325,000 inheritance tax threshold). One property, straightforward beneficiaries, no business interests, no overseas assets, no complicated family structures. You're comfortable with solicitor appointments and can wait until March, October, or November.

You're a committed charitable donor planning to leave a legacy gift anyway. Free Wills Month and similar schemes are designed for people who want to support charity and happen to need a will—not the reverse.

You have significant time and limited money. You can navigate the booking systems, wait for seasonal campaigns, and schedule appointments during working hours without losing income.

You should use WUHLD or another affordable online service if:

You're under 55 and ineligible for Free Wills Month. Why wait years until you qualify when you need protection now?

Your estate is £200,000-600,000—above the "simple" threshold but not requiring a specialist solicitor. This is the vast majority of UK homeowners in areas with moderate to high property values.

You have moderately complex situations: multiple properties, blended families, specific bequests to different people, digital assets, business interests up to moderate complexity, or unmarried partner relationships.

You value your time as well as your money. WUHLD takes 15 minutes to complete online versus months of waiting for appointments and multiple solicitor visits.

You want control and flexibility. Immediate access, unlimited lifetime updates at no additional cost, no charity expectations, and professional support whenever you need it.

Consider these examples:

Margaret, 62, with a £280,000 estate and everything going to her children = Perfect for Free Wills Month.

Tom, 38, with a £340,000 flat, unmarried partner, and stepchildren = Perfect for WUHLD.

Rachel, 51, with a £180,000 estate and simple wishes = Could wait 4+ months for Free Wills Month in March, or get it done today for £99.99.

The question isn't whether you can technically wait for free. It's whether waiting serves your family's interests.

The True Cost Comparison: Free vs. £99.99 vs. Solicitor

Let's examine real costs over a 20-year period.

Factor Free Charity Schemes WUHLD (£99.99) Solicitor (£150-900)
Upfront cost £0 (or £100-120 Will Aid) £99.99 one-time £150-900+
Eligibility 55+, simple estates, seasonal Everyone, any complexity Everyone
Timing Wait weeks/months 15 minutes, now 2-6 weeks
Updates £150-300 each Unlimited, free £150-300 each
Storage May charge £10-30/year Free forever May charge
Complexity covered Simple only (<£325k) Moderate complexity All complexity
Support Appointment-based only Phone + email In-person + phone
Hidden costs Executor fees, storage, updates None Hourly rates for extras
Documents included Will only Will + 3 guides Will only (usually)

Here's what "free" actually costs over 20 years:

"Free" will total cost:

  • Free will: £0
  • Storage: £20/year × 20 years = £400
  • Two updates (children, house move): £200 × 2 = £400
  • Executor fees if you appoint provider: 3% of £250,000 = £7,500
  • Total: £8,300

WUHLD total cost over 20 years:

  • Initial will: £99.99
  • Storage: £0
  • Unlimited updates: £0
  • No executor fees required
  • Total: £99.99

Solicitor total cost over 20 years:

£99.99 isn't free. But it's the best value for 80% of UK adults who need proper wills without solicitor complexity.

Why WUHLD Is the Smart Alternative to Free (For Most People)

If you're under 55, if your estate exceeds the £325,000 inheritance tax threshold, if you need a will now rather than in several months, or if your situation is even moderately complex, WUHLD delivers better value than "free."

What you get for £99.99:

Immediate access any day of the year—not just March, October, or November. No waiting for campaign launches, no competing for limited appointment slots, no seasonal restrictions.

No age restrictions. Whether you're 25 or 85, WUHLD works for you. Learn more about why having a will matters at any age.

Comprehensive coverage beyond "simple" wills. We handle unmarried couples (who inherit nothing without a will), blended families, specific bequests, guardian appointments, digital assets, and moderately complex estates up to £600,000+.

15-minute completion time. Answer straightforward questions in plain English, preview your complete will, and download it immediately. No appointments, no travel, no taking time off work.

Unlimited free updates for life. Marriage, divorce, new children, house moves, changed executors—update your will as many times as needed at no additional cost. Contrast this with £150-300 per update with solicitors or free scheme providers.

Four documents included:

  • Your legally valid will
  • A 12-page Testator Guide explaining execution and storage
  • A Witness Guide for the people who'll witness your signature
  • A Complete Asset Inventory to document your estate

Preview free before paying anything. Complete your entire will, review every detail, ensure it captures your wishes perfectly. Only pay if you're completely satisfied. No credit card required for the preview.

No hidden costs. No storage fees. No executor pressure. No update charges. No complexity surcharges. The price you see is the price you pay.

Professional support included. Phone and email help whenever you need guidance or have questions. We're here to ensure your will is right.

No charity expectations. Your will is 100% yours. Include charitable gifts if you want to, but there's zero pressure or expectation. For guidance on choosing between different options, see our comparison of online will services versus traditional solicitors.

Who WUHLD is perfect for:

Sophie, 34, tried Free Wills Month but was told she's too young. WUHLD took 15 minutes and cost less than two takeaway meals.

Amir, 58, qualified for Free Wills Month but would have waited until October. His £99.99 WUHLD will was done the same evening he decided to act.

Linda, 63, started the free scheme but her £380,000 estate exceeded the simple threshold. Rather than pay the solicitor £600 to complete it, she used WUHLD for £99.99 and got the same legal protection.

What's peace of mind worth? For the cost of one nice meal out, you ensure your children inherit your home, your partner is protected, and your wishes are legally binding.

£99.99 is less than most people spend on their monthly phone bill.

How to Get Started with Your Will Today (Free Preview, Then £99.99)

Creating your will with WUHLD takes eight simple steps.

The process:

  1. Visit wuhld.com and click "Create Your Will"
  2. Answer straightforward questions about your situation (15 minutes)
  3. Preview your complete will FREE—no payment required
  4. Review every detail to ensure accuracy
  5. Pay £99.99 only when completely satisfied
  6. Download instantly or wait for your posted copy
  7. Print and sign with two independent witnesses
  8. Update anytime free forever

What you need before starting:

  • Full names and addresses of beneficiaries
  • Names of executors (trusted friends or family members)
  • Guardian names if you have children under 18
  • List of significant assets (property, savings, investments)
  • 15 minutes of uninterrupted time

Common questions answered:

Can I save and come back later? Yes, save your progress at any point and return when convenient.

Can I change it after paying? Yes, unlimited free updates mean you can modify your will whenever your circumstances change.

Is it legally valid? Yes, 100% compliant with UK will law. Learn about the legal requirements for valid wills in our detailed guide.

Do I need a solicitor to check it? No, our system ensures legal compliance. However, you can have a solicitor review it if you want extra assurance for complex situations.

The decision framework:

Ask yourself: Am I willing to wait 3-6 months for a free appointment, risk being told my estate is too complex, and potentially pay hidden costs later?

Or would I rather invest £99.99 today for immediate peace of mind, comprehensive coverage, and free updates forever?

Your family deserves certainty. Start your free preview now at wuhld.com and see your complete, personalised will before paying anything.

Get Your Will Done Today for £99.99

Key takeaways:

  • Free will services genuinely exist in the UK through Free Wills Month (March/October), Will Aid (November), and year-round charity schemes
  • These services work brilliantly for over-55s with simple estates (typically under the £325,000 IHT threshold) who can wait for seasonal campaigns
  • Hidden costs include executor fees (potentially £10,000+), storage charges, update fees (£150-300 each), and complexity surcharges when your estate doesn't qualify as "simple"
  • Free online templates are legally risky and can lead to contested estates costing tens of thousands to resolve
  • For most UK adults under 55 or with moderately complex estates, WUHLD's £99.99 one-time payment offers better value than free options

Your family deserves the certainty of knowing your wishes will be followed. Free options work brilliantly for some people, but if you're reading this article, you're probably not in that small eligibility window.

The real question isn't "Can I get this for free?"—it's "What's the smart way to protect my family for the least money and hassle?"

WUHLD gives you a comprehensive, legally valid will for £99.99—less than the suggested donation for Will Aid and a fraction of solicitor costs. Create your will in 15 minutes, preview it completely free, and only pay when you're satisfied.

You get four documents (will plus three guides), unlimited lifetime updates, and professional support whenever you need it.

Preview Your Will Free – No Payment Required

Start your free preview at wuhld.com and protect your family today—no appointment needed, no waiting, no hidden costs.

Legal Disclaimer This article provides general information about free will options in the UK and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your individual situation, please consult a qualified solicitor. WUHLD's online will service is suitable for straightforward UK estates; complex situations may require professional legal advice. Free Wills Month and Will Aid are legitimate charity-funded schemes. This article's analysis of limitations is based on publicly available information and is not intended to discourage participation in these valuable programs.

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