Cost to Make a Will and Power of Attorney Uk: Full UK Price Breakdown (2026)

A couple I know, Dave and Priya, decided last spring to sort out “the boring paperwork” in one weekend — a will each, and a Power of Attorney each, all at once, because they’d read somewhere that doing both together saves money. They were half right. It does save some money bundled through the right provider, but the two documents aren’t priced the same way, and mixing them up when you’re getting quotes is how people end up either overpaying or under-covering themselves. Here’s how the actual costs broke down for them, and what the current 2026 numbers look like more broadly.

First, What’s the Difference Between a Will and a Power of Attorney?

Quick groundwork before the prices, because this trips people up constantly. A will only takes effect after you die — it decides who gets your money, property, and possessions. A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) takes effect while you’re alive but unable to make decisions yourself, due to illness, injury, or cognitive decline — it lets someone you trust manage your finances or your health and welfare decisions on your behalf. They cover completely different gaps. Martin Lewis has been vocal about this point specifically, describing an LPA as arguably more important than a will for exactly this reason — a will does nothing for you while you’re still alive.

How Much Does a Will and Power of Attorney Cost in the UK, Combined?

Here’s what Dave and Priya actually paid, alongside the wider market range for 2026:

Wills:

• Single solicitor-drafted will: £150–£500
• Mirror wills for a couple: £250–£900

Lasting Power of Attorney:

• Government (OPG) registration fee: £92 per LPA
• Most people need both types (Property & Financial Affairs, and Health & Welfare), so £184 per person just in registration fees
• Professional drafting on top: £150–£500 per LPA (estate planner/will-writer) or £300–£600+ per LPA (solicitor)

Put together, a couple doing mirror wills plus both types of LPA each, through a solicitor, is realistically looking at somewhere between £1,200 and £2,800 for the full set. Doing it through a specialist online provider or fixed-fee estate planner can bring that down considerably — some bundled packages combining wills and both LPAs run from around £700–£1,200 per person including registration fees.

Cost of a Will for a Couple: Why Mirror Wills Are Usually Cheaper Per Person

A mirror will is a pair of wills for a couple that reflect each other’s wishes — typically, each partner leaves everything to the other, with the same fallback plan (often the children) if both pass away together. Because they’re drafted together in a single consultation process, mirror wills usually cost less per person than two completely separate wills would. For 2026, expect £250–£900 for the pair, compared to potentially £300–£1,000 total if commissioned as two fully independent wills.

What Is a Trust Will?

A trust will is a will that includes a trust structure within it, rather than leaving assets outright to a beneficiary. This is common when:

• You want to protect a family home for children while still allowing a surviving spouse to live there (a life interest trust)
• You’re part of a blended family and want to balance a current partner with children from an earlier relationship
• A beneficiary is a minor or someone who shouldn’t manage a large sum directly

Trust wills cost more than standard wills — typically £1,500–£2,500+ — because they involve more careful drafting and ongoing considerations about how the trust is managed after your death.

Cost of Power of Attorney UK: The Fixed Bit vs the Variable Bit

The LPA cost breaks into two separate pieces, and understanding this is the key to not overpaying:

1. The government fee — fixed at £92 per LPA, paid to the Office of the Public Guardian regardless of who helps you prepare it. Most people need two (Property & Financial Affairs, and Health & Welfare), so £184 per person as a baseline.
2. The preparation help — entirely optional and where the real price variation lives. DIY through the free gov.uk online tool costs nothing beyond the registration fee. A will-writer or estate planner typically charges £150–£500 per LPA. A solicitor typically charges £300–£600+ per LPA, rising toward £1,000–£3,000 for a full-service package that includes acting as the certificate provider and handling registration for someone with complex health needs.

A means-tested 50% reduction on the registration fee is available if your gross annual income is under £12,000, and some people on qualifying benefits may be exempt from the fee entirely — worth checking eligibility on GOV.UK before assuming the full fee applies to you.

What Is the Least Expensive Way to Get a Power of Attorney?

The cheapest legitimate route is doing it yourself through the free government online service, paying only the £92-per-LPA registration fee. This works fine for straightforward situations — no property complications, a clear choice of attorney, no concerns about mental capacity being challenged later. Where it gets riskier is exactly the situations where professional help earns its cost: if capacity is already in question (an early dementia diagnosis, for example), a solicitor can apply proper safeguards and document things in a way that holds up if the LPA is ever challenged.

How Much Do Solicitors Charge for Executing a Will?

This is worth separating from writing a will, because they’re different jobs. “Executing” a will after death — administering the estate, applying for probate, distributing assets — is typically charged either as a fixed fee, an hourly rate, or a percentage of the estate’s value (commonly in the range of 1–5%). On a modest estate, a percentage fee can end up costing far more than the will itself did. If you name a solicitor’s firm as executor, ask directly how they charge for this role before agreeing, and compare it against naming a trusted family member or friend as executor instead, which avoids professional fees at that stage entirely.

Do I Need a Solicitor to Write a Will in the UK?

No — will writing isn’t a regulated activity in England and Wales, so a self-written will, a template, or an online service is entirely legal, provided it’s signed and witnessed correctly. A solicitor becomes genuinely valuable, rather than just reassuring, once your situation includes property, a blended family, a business, overseas assets, or any concern about mental capacity or family disputes down the line.

Cost of Making a Will Near Me: How to Actually Compare Local Prices

Rather than picking the first name that comes up in a search, use the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor tool to search by location and specialism, then get quotes from at least two or three firms — prices for identical work can vary by 20–40% between London and regional firms, and even between two firms in the same town. Always ask what’s included (review, storage, updates) rather than comparing headline prices alone.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming a will and an LPA are interchangeable. They cover completely different situations and both matter.
• Not checking for LPA fee reductions. Low-income applicants can often get a 50% discount or exemption on the registration fee.
• Naming a solicitor as executor without asking about their fee structure. A percentage-based fee can significantly outweigh the cost of drafting the will itself.
• Comparing prices without comparing what’s included. A cheap quote missing review or storage isn’t necessarily better value.
• Assuming DIY is always risky. For simple situations it’s legal and often fine — the risk rises specifically with complexity, not with the act of doing it yourself.

Final Thoughts

Dave and Priya ended up spending a bit more than they expected, mostly because they hadn’t realised the LPA registration fee was separate from the drafting help. But they walked away from that one weekend with both documents actually done, which is more than most people manage in a decade of meaning to get round to it. The prices vary a lot depending on the route you take — but once you understand which piece is fixed and which piece you’re actually shopping around for, it stops feeling like a mystery.

FAQ

How much does it cost for a will and Power of Attorney in the UK?
Combined, expect roughly £1,200–£2,800 through a solicitor for a couple doing mirror wills plus both types of LPA each, or considerably less through fixed-fee online providers.

What is the least expensive way to get a Power of Attorney?
Using the free government online service and paying only the £92-per-LPA registration fee, with no professional drafting fees added.

How much do solicitors charge for executing a will?
This is typically a fixed fee, hourly rate, or a percentage of the estate (often 1–5%), charged separately from the original cost of writing the will.

Do I need a solicitor to write a will in the UK?
No, it’s legal to write your own will, but professional help is strongly recommended for anything involving property, blended families, trusts, or complex assets.