Cost of making a will.

Hello all,

I hope you're all having a lovely day. Some of the prices people have paid seem awfully expensive, I went with April King for my grandparent Wills and they looked after everything for us. It was far less than what a few people have paid. They don't really do Mirror Wills because the lack of protection they offer should either myself or my DH require care in later life.

Oops sorry, meant to start a new post! Please delete!

My husbands elderly mother died recently after a long Alzheimers decline. Her husband died 20 years ago and she remade her will in the month following his death. She was unused to dealing with her own affairs but was accompanied to the solicitors by her two brothers, who we now know were made executors of her will. She has six children. At the time there was “bad blood” between my husband and most of his siblings, a situation exacerbated by emotions running high and of course grief as their dad’s death had been sudden. They are all on reasonably good terms these days, thankfully.
Anyway, my mother in law’s will will now be dealt with. My husband is very apprehensive that one or two of his siblings may have influenced their mum to leave her estate unequally, and if he were to inherit less than the others, he would find it very stressful. We do not need any inheritance but of course any would be welcome. But he would be devastated if it was known throughout the wider family that he had been disfavoured.
My question is, is it usual for a solicitor dealing with probate of a will, to write to each beneficiary and let him/her see the content and terms of the will, or is it only at the last stage they are advised only the amount they will receive, and the amount to other beneficiaries are kept private? In some ways I would prefer he didn’t know!

Did my will through Will Drafters Ltd very reasonable They also do an offer of producing a free will to whoever you nominate

I think that Martin Lewis usually promotes the ‘free wills’ on his Moneytips site, when they come around. It is well worth reading for many other reasons, too.
They should make him Chancellor of the Exchequer!

A few years ago Groupon had a special offer- £18 for simple mirror wills. A chap came round and we could tell he was more interested in getting us to invest with his firm but when we made it clear we had no spare cash he grumbled a bit, but took the details. We had to wait ages for them to arrive but, after a few phone calls, they did eventually.

Maggiemaybe exactly the same for us---thank goodness. never realised how expensive it can be for others

Should add with our solicitor

We did ours 3 years ago. Tenants in common .Mirror wills. Cost £150 each.

I did mine last year for free through an offer on money saving expert website with Farewill. I can pay £10 on the anniversary each year and update it as often as I want.

Did an LPA online through the Gov.uk website, it’s quite easy and you just pay their fee.

Patticake, the will was declared null and void as your dil had married again. When you marry you need to make a new one.

Quiet correct that lots of trade unions offer a Will service cheaply to members, usually under £100 for a simple will

Patticake - I honestly don't think it was (necessarily) the DiY nature of the will. Marriage invalidates any will except those that say specifically 'in the contemplation of my marriage'. The DiY forms ask basic questions, and tell you to go to a solicitor in all but the simplest.

I have done probate on 2 wills, and the DiY was the most straightforward. The solicitor written one shouldn't have been difficult, but the deceased hadn't seen any point in paying a solicitor to update it, so I had to prove the death of 2 of the executors, and a beneficiary, the change of names of other beneficiaries etc. The one who did the DiY simply updated it himself, so I could go to probate easily!

Just for comparison, mine was 760 euros for new will & power of attorney in a European capital city.

If your affairs are straightforward which magazine do a will writing and poa service which is very reasonable. £120 or there about a for 2 mirror wills, only suitable if you know what you want and don’t need to ’talk at length( to someone,

Marriage always invalidates a previous will which is why it’s so important so update any will.

I also did mine in Free Wills week.
I donated £50.
I think they come around every November.

Certain solicitors participate, not all.

I wouldn’t advise writing a will without expert help. My husband, an only child was left everything in his father’s home drawn will. He didn’t even get a shirt button as the Will was declared null and void and his new wife of 4 days had the lot.

Thankyou all for your replies.
I think my charge is about average and very reasonable.

We did our own LPAs using a form - bit long-winded, but straightforward.
My attitude about wills is that when they are very simple, I have DIYed (before I had children, and again when they were grown up). When more complex (young children, and then setting up a trust for grandchildren) I have paid for legal advice.
Last will, which included the simple trust and some provisions for some other family members cost £500 for the 2 'mirror' wills.

Don’t pay a solicitor to apply for LPA it is pretty simple to do yourself. If I can do it......!

Look around for 'Free Will Writing week'. The solicitors expect a charity bequest but their small print states quite clearly that it's not compulsory. I stood my ground and said I didn't support any of the charities they suggested and that I wanted it for free, as advertised. The woman I saw had such a face on her but I refused to pay and got it for free- can't get cheaper than that. I chose the charities I support, I will not be dictated to.

It depends on how simple the will is. Had mine done about 6 months ago, and cost £250 which included vat. No POA, but not a totally straightforward will.

Wanted to make a new will after DH died, didn't want to use the solicitor who dealt with his estate, so asked a neighbour for recommendations. Used the one he'd been very satisfied with; cost £280, she was very thorough and efficient and I was very pleased; I already had Power of Attorney. East Midlands area.

You can either leave something in your Will for these charities or donate a sum at the time, I just donated £ 100, and she said that was more than generous for my single Will after my husband died, in 2014.