How to get a will for free this month

Free Wills Month is back, giving people aged 55 and over the opportunity to get a solicitor-drafted will without spending a penny. 

A will is an important document that sets who will inherit your estate and what should happen after you die, but more than half of UK adults don't have one. 

Here, we explain how to take advantage of Free Wills Month and outline six alternatives to try if you miss out.

• Save on wills this March with Which?: write your will online with ease and confidence. Prices start from only £118.30 with a full review for extra peace of mind

What is Free Wills Month?

Free Wills Month runs twice a year in March and October. It gives those aged over 55 the chance to have a 'simple' will drawn up or an existing will updated by a solicitor for free. 

As well as simple wills for individuals, Free Wills Month also covers couples making ‘mirror’ wills. Mirror wills are almost entirely identical wills created by married couples or partners.

If you use Free Wills Month, you are under no obligation to leave a donation, but most charities taking part hope you will, as many depend on legacies for up to half their income.

Whatever you do leave will remain confidential, and the charity will not get a copy of your will. 

The scheme has been running since 2005 and raises around £15m for sponsoring charities per campaign.

• Find out more: how to make a will

Which charities benefit?

Some of the national charities taking part include Age UK, British Heart Foundation, Guide Dogs, Mind, NSPCC, Samaritans and the Stroke Association.  A full list can be found on the Free Wills Month website. 

The charity sponsoring the scheme near you will depend on your location, but it's worth remembering you can leave a gift to any charity in your will.

• Find out more: how to leave a gift to charity in your will

Which locations are involved?

Hundreds of solicitor firms and charities take part, but different areas participate during different months. 

This month, the following areas will take part: 

• Birmingham
• Bolton
• Bournemouth 
• Bristol
• Cardiff
• Cornwall
• Derbyshire
• Exeter 
• Gloucestershire
• Hampshire
• Hull 
• Ipswich
• Leicestershire
• Lincolnshire
• Manchester 
• Milton Keynes
• Northern Ireland
• Norwich
• Nottinghamshire
• Oxfordshire
• Plymouth
• Portsmouth
• Scarborough
• Stockport
• Stoke-on-Trent
• Swansea
• Torquay

You can enter your postcode on the Free Wills Month website to find out which solicitors near you are taking part.

• Find out more: what to put in your will

How to book an appointment

Appointments with participating solicitors are limited and arranged on a first-come, first-served basis from 1 October. 

Once all the available appointments are booked, the campaign will close. This may be before the end of the month.

To sign up, you'll need to enter your postcode on the Free Wills Month website to find your nearest participating solicitor. 

You'll then need to contact the solicitor to arrange the appointment and mention the Free Wills Month scheme. The solicitor will define whether your will is considered 'simple' based on your requirements.

If your will is considered to be more complex, the solicitor may ask you to pay the difference yourself. It's a good idea to seek a few quotes to compare prices.

• Find out more: will writing for new parents

6 alternatives to Free Wills Month

If you’re not eligible to use Free Wills Month, or it’s not available in your location, here are six alternative ways to get a cheap or free will this autumn.

1. Will Aid 

Will Aid is a partnership between solicitors and seven UK charities that takes place every November. During Will Aid, you can get a simple will in exchange for a voluntary donation. 

Instead of charging their normal prices, solicitors taking part in the scheme volunteer their time and waive their fees, in exchange for a donation to Will Aid. 

The suggested donation to Will Aid is £100 for a single basic will and £180 for a pair of mirror wills.

Donations support the work of the seven charities - Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, SCIAF and Trocaire.

• Find out more: Will Aid appointments open for booking

2. All-year-round charity schemes

Many charities provide free will-writing services all year round, although it's recommended you leave a gift to the charity in your will in exchange for the service. 

Participating charities include Marie Curie, Cancer Research, Macmillan Cancer Support, The Children’s Hospital and the Stroke Association. 

• Find out more: how to make a will for free

3. Trade union or employer

If you're a member of a trade union, you could get your will written for free or at a low cost. 

Unison and the Public and Commercial Services Union are among those that partner with solicitors to provide members with a free will-writing service.

It’s possible your employer may offer you a free will as an employee benefit, so it’s worth checking with your HR department as part of your research. 

• Find out more: 7 reasons to review your will before you go on holiday

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4. Insurance policy

Some life insurance providers offer a free will, including Virgin Money and Beagle Street. However, if you’re weighing up a life insurance policy, you should consider it on its own merits and not for any freebies it may come with. 

If you’ve added legal cover to your home insurance, check if it includes a will-writing service.  

• Find out more: best life insurance policies

5. Will-writing service

Using a will-writing service is typically cheaper than using a solicitor, with prices starting from around £80.

You’ll also get more guidance than doing it yourself, and it can be ideal if your circumstances are relatively straightforward, but you want some support.

However, not all will writers are qualified or regulated, because will writing itself is not a regulated market. 

To give yourself extra protection, you should make sure your will writer is recognised by a professional body within the industry or by a regulated individual, like a solicitor.

• Save on wills this March with Which?

6. Do it yourself

Templates for DIY wills can be downloaded online for as little as £10, but you should only use one of these if your estate is very simple. 

If you have more complex circumstances, you risk making a mistake that could make your will invalid or ambiguous.

Should you go down the DIY route, it’s crucial that the will covers all the major assets you own and that the document is witnessed correctly. We’ve got some more advice in our guide on creating a will for free.