Cost of making a will?

TravellingAbuela

For years OH and myself have kept saying "we must make a will" and here we are, both retired, and we still haven't made one. OH called in at a local Solicitors to make enquiries the other day and was quoted £180 for writing a will for a married couple! Is this the average price these days or did he just pick an expensive Solicitor? Is this a standard charge or is there a cheaper way of doing it without resorting to a DIY one?

margaretclare

Sounds as if you're having what are called 'back-to-back' wills. We have them, and from memory, £90 each sounds about right.

morag1202

Age Concern or Help the Aged might do it cheaper and periodically other charities have offers on for cheaper wills which are advertised in local papers.

What have you got against a DIY will? If your estates are not complecated and likely to be under the IHT threashold then there is a lot of help and guidence available in the shape of template wills for you to adapt. £180 + vat is about the going rate.

zfrl

When you consider the impact of a badly written or ill considered will £180 is not a lot of money. It is about what we paid. Our solicitor made us consider things we would have overlooked if we had written a "diy" will.
I think it depends on what you have got to leave and who you are leaving it too.

Savvy_Sue

Bear in mind it's nearly Will Aid time. Don't use that as an excuse to pay less, but at least you can choose where the money goes. Do make sure however that the solicitor doesn't put themselves down as executors (unless you really really want them to!)

Elsewhere

OH and I made new ones about 3 months ago. It was a very simple one - leaving all money to each other, or otherwise (ie we died more or less simultaneously) equally between our kids. It cost £50 each, which I think included vat. Quite reasonable for a solicitor, I thought.

TravellingAbuela

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I suppose £180 is not really an awful lot of money if it ensures our wishes are carried out. Like Elsewhere ours would be simple ones, leaving first to each other then equally between our kids. But I would prefer to pay £100 rather than £180!! Maybe I could ask around!

Meadows

Earlier this year we had 'Mirror Wills' done and it cost us £120 (that was both not each).

Old_Git

a relative had a will done this month .she was told it would be £50 ,but it really cost her nowt because he knew her for years .
But otherwise £50 a time .

Biggles

We had mirror wills earlier this year through an IPW firm (Institute of Professional Willwriters, www.ipw.org.uk) and they were £138 for the two.

Mojisola

TravellingAbuela wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I suppose £180 is not really an awful lot of money if it ensures our wishes are carried out. Like Elsewhere ours would be simple ones, leaving first to each other then equally between our kids. But I would prefer to pay £100 rather than £180!! Maybe I could ask around!

If your wills are going to be exactly the same, why don't you get yours done and then copy it for your OH, changing the names where appropriate?

Make sure you get the signing and witnessing right.