Wills & Estate Planning
Free will scheme or pay for one?
Several charities will pay for your will in the hope of a legacy. For a simple estate that is a genuinely good deal — with two conditions worth understanding first.
A number of UK charities run schemes that cover the cost of a basic will through a participating solicitor, usually for people over a certain age or during particular months of the year. They do it because a proportion of people leave the charity something, and the return on that is worth more than the fee.
That is a legitimate arrangement and not a trick. But it is not unconditional, and it does not suit every estate.
Side by side
| Free scheme | Paying | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to you | Nothing for a basic will | £90 – £650 |
| Who writes it | A participating solicitor | Whoever you choose |
| Eligibility | Often age-restricted or time-limited | Anyone |
| Complexity covered | Simple estates only | Any |
| Expectation of a legacy | Hoped for, not required | None |
| Choice of solicitor | From a participating list | Open |
How the schemes work
The common models are a charity partnering with solicitors year-round for people over a set age, and campaign months where participating firms write basic wills at no charge. In both cases the charity covers the solicitor's fee.
You are under no obligation to leave anything to the charity. They ask, most people consider it, and a proportion do. That is the whole economic model, and reputable schemes state it plainly.
The two conditions that matter
First, eligibility. Schemes are typically restricted by age, by month, or by area, and places in campaign months run out. Check before you plan around it.
Second, complexity. These schemes cover a basic will. If your estate involves a business, a trust, property abroad, a blended family, likely inheritance tax or a beneficiary on means-tested benefits, the scheme will usually either decline or quote for the extra work — at which point you are paying anyway, and should compare properly.
When paying is the better decision
When you need advice rather than a document. The value in a solicitor is that they spot what you did not think to mention — and a scheme designed around simple estates is not the setting for a complicated conversation.
Also when you want to choose your own adviser, when you need it done this week rather than in the scheme's window, or when you would rather not have a legacy conversation at all.
What to check either way
Ask who the executor will be, and what they charge. A firm that appoints itself and takes a percentage of the estate can cost your beneficiaries far more than the will ever saved you — and that applies to free schemes as much as paid ones.
Ask about storage, what an amendment costs later, and whether the will is registered anywhere your executors can find it.
The short answer
Simple estate, and you qualify: use the scheme. It is a real saving and the will is written by a regulated solicitor.
Anything complicated, or you want a free choice of adviser: pay, and compare on total cost including storage, amendments and the executor arrangement.
Either way, leaving the charity something is entirely your decision, and no reputable scheme conditions the will on it.
Ready to compare wills?
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Common questions
Do I have to leave money to the charity?
No. Reputable schemes hope for a legacy but do not require one, and the will is written regardless.
Who actually writes the will?
A participating solicitor, regulated in the normal way. The charity pays their fee rather than drafting anything itself.
Is a free will as good as a paid one?
For a simple estate, yes — it is the same solicitor doing the same work. The limitation is complexity, not quality.
What if my estate is complicated?
The scheme will usually quote separately for the additional work, or decline. At that point compare properly rather than accepting the first figure.
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