Free Will Services in the UK: Charities, Solicitors, and Your Options

Making a will is one of the most important things anyone can do, yet surveys consistently show that more than half of UK adults do not have one. The cost of instructing a solicitor — typically £150 to £300 for a straightforward will — puts some people off. But there are genuine, high-quality free alternatives that allow you to have a proper solicitor-drafted will at no cost. This guide explains each option clearly.

Free Wills Month: March and October

Free Wills Month is an annual campaign run twice a year — in March and October — by a consortium of major UK charities including Age UK, Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, RNIB, and many others. During these months, participating solicitor firms across the UK offer to write simple wills free of charge for people aged 55 and over.

Key things to know about Free Wills Month:

• The service is completely free — the participating charities cover the solicitors’ fees
• You are not obligated to leave a gift to any charity in your will — there is no pressure and no obligation
• It covers simple wills only: a straightforward single or mirror will. Wills involving trusts, complex estate planning, or significant business interests are not covered and you would need to pay for these separately
• To find a participating solicitor, visit the Free Wills Month website (freewillsmonth.org.uk) and search by postcode
• Appointments fill up quickly, especially in larger cities — register early once the campaign opens
• You must be 55 or over to use this scheme during the standard campaign, though some solicitors extend this to younger people if appointments are available

Free Wills Month has helped hundreds of thousands of people make or update their wills. The solicitors involved are qualified professionals and the resulting wills carry exactly the same legal weight as one you paid for at the full rate.

Will Aid: November Campaign

Will Aid runs every November and operates on a slightly different model. Participating solicitors agree to waive their normal fee for writing a basic will during November, and clients are instead asked to make a suggested donation to Will Aid’s charitable partners — currently a group that includes Comic Relief, ActionAid, Age UK, and others.

The suggested donation amounts for 2026 are:

• £100 for a single basic will
• £180 for a pair of mirror wills (for a couple)

These are suggested rather than required amounts — you are free to give more or less. The donation is tax-effective if you gift aid it and are a UK taxpayer, meaning the charities receive an additional 25p for every £1 donated.

Will Aid is open to people of all ages and covers simple wills. To participate, visit the Will Aid website (willaid.org.uk) from around October each year to search for a participating solicitor near you and book an appointment.

Charity-Linked Free Will Services Year-Round

Many individual charities offer free will-writing services throughout the year, funded by the charity as a way of encouraging legacy giving. These are genuine free services and you are under no legal obligation to leave a gift to the charity, although the charities naturally hope you will consider doing so.

Examples of charities with such schemes include:

• Cancer Research UK: Offers a free will-writing service in partnership with local solicitors, with the only requirement being that you consider leaving a gift to Cancer Research UK in your will
• British Heart Foundation, RNIB, NSPCC: Similar schemes, typically connecting you with a network of solicitors who will write a straightforward will at no charge
• The National Trust: Offers a free will service with a solicitor panel, again with no obligation to leave a gift to the Trust

Some of these schemes are available online and can be completed remotely; others require an in-person appointment with a solicitor. The will produced is a fully valid, professionally drafted legal document in all cases.

Age UK, Citizens Advice, and Council-Funded Services

Age UK (the national charity for older people) offers advice and can signpost to will-writing services, and some local Age UK branches arrange free or low-cost will-writing appointments for older residents. The availability varies significantly by area — contact your local Age UK branch to find out what is offered in your region.

Citizens Advice can provide general information about making a will and signpost to local free or subsidised services. They do not generally write wills themselves, but their advisers can confirm which schemes are currently active in your area.

Some local authorities and housing associations also offer subsidised will-writing services for residents, particularly older tenants in social housing. Contact your local council’s social care or housing team to ask whether any such scheme operates in your area.

The Significant Risks of DIY and Online Will-Writing Services

Given the availability of free solicitor-drafted wills through the schemes above, there is little reason to use a DIY will kit, an online will-writing service, or an unregulated will writer. The risks of DIY wills are substantial and well-documented:

• Incorrect execution: The Wills Act 1837 requires a will to be signed in the presence of two independent witnesses who must both be present at the same time. A common DIY error is having witnesses sign at different times or having a beneficiary witness the will — which causes them to lose their inheritance (see our separate guide on witnessing a will).
• Ambiguous wording: Will drafting requires precise language. Ambiguous clauses can lead to expensive disputes between beneficiaries, with the legal costs eating into the estate. Courts have seen many cases where a handwritten will or online template created more problems than it solved.
• Failure to revoke a previous will: A new will must contain a clear revocation clause. An improperly drafted DIY will may not effectively revoke an earlier will.
• Overlooked circumstances: Qualified solicitors ask about your specific circumstances — whether you have children from a previous relationship, whether you own property jointly, whether you have foreign assets. DIY templates cannot anticipate all the things that could go wrong.
• Unregulated will writers: Unlike solicitors, will writers are not currently required to be regulated in England and Wales (though legislation to bring them under regulation has been considered). If an unregulated will writer makes an error, your recourse is limited.

Given that free, professionally drafted wills are available through multiple well-established schemes, the smartest choice for most people with straightforward circumstances is to use one of the legitimate free options above rather than risking the validity of their estate plans on a DIY document.