Side-by-side: cheap online will vs solicitor will
Cheap online will (ClearLegacy £69)
- £69 single / £99 mirror, fixed fee
- Legally valid under Wills Act 1837
- 15-minute online questionnaire
- Reviewed by qualified UK estate planner within 24 hours
- Full signing pack with diagrams
- One free amendment in first 12 months
- No appointment, no travel, no Calendly
- Cheapest reviewed option in the UK market
Solicitor will
- £150–£400 single / £250–£600 mirror
- Legally valid under Wills Act 1837
- 60–90 minute face-to-face appointment
- Drafting by solicitor or paralegal
- Paper drafts posted/emailed
- Update fees vary by firm
- 2–4 week turnaround typical
- SRA-regulated; PI insurance
Head-to-head on the things that actually matter
| Factor | Cheap online will | Solicitor will |
|---|---|---|
| Single will price | £69 | £150–£400 |
| Mirror wills | £99 | £250–£600 |
| Legal validity | Wills Act 1837 ✓ | Wills Act 1837 ✓ |
| Probate-failure rate | Same as solicitor (reviewed) | Same as online (reviewed) |
| Drafting process | Online questionnaire | Face-to-face interview |
| Review | Qualified estate planner | Solicitor or paralegal |
| Turnaround | 24 hours | 2–4 weeks |
| Updates | 1 free / yr; £69 rewrite | £50–£150 per change typical |
| Suitable for trusts | No (referred out) | Yes |
Where cheap online wills win
Price
The savings are real. A cheap will in the UK at £69 is a quarter to a fifth of a typical solicitor price. Mirror wills save even more — £99 versus £250–£600. That's not a corner-cutting discount; it reflects the absence of office overhead and hourly billing. The breakdown is in why are wills so expensive UK.
Speed
Most ClearLegacy online wills in the UK are reviewed and emailed back within 24 hours. Most solicitor wills take 2–4 weeks because of appointment scheduling, draft cycles, and post.
Convenience
No appointment, no half-day off work, no travel. Complete the questionnaire from your sofa.
Structured drafting
A questionnaire designed by estate planners asks the right questions in a consistent order. Reviewed online wills are less likely to miss a guardian clause than a rushed solicitor appointment that overruns on small talk.
Where solicitor wills genuinely win
Complex estates
Discretionary trusts for vulnerable beneficiaries, business succession, foreign property — these are conversations, not questionnaires. A solicitor can adapt the will to circumstances that no online template covers.
Tax planning
Estates well above the £325,000 nil-rate band with active inheritance tax planning needs benefit from bespoke advice. ClearLegacy refers these cases out.
Contested situations
If you anticipate a 1975 Inheritance Act claim or family dispute, a solicitor's contemporaneous notes and capacity assessment can be useful evidence later.
When to pick which
Couple, joint home, kids → online
The textbook case for a reviewed online mirror will at £99.
Single homeowner, named beneficiaries → online
A £69 single online will covers this in 24 hours.
Cohabiting partners → online
Intestacy doesn't protect unmarried partners. An online will solves this fast and cheaply.
Discretionary trust for a vulnerable beneficiary → solicitor
Bespoke trust drafting is what solicitors are for.
Business owner with shareholders' agreement → solicitor
Succession planning needs more than a will template.
Foreign property or non-UK domicile → solicitor
Cross-border estate planning is solicitor territory.
The "but is it really the same?" question, answered
Yes. Probate registries across England and Wales process online wills the same way as solicitor wills. The Wills Act 1837 is the legal standard, and it doesn't care who typed the document. What matters is signing and witnessing — which is exactly the same for both. The legality of online wills in the UK is settled law.
The total cost over 10 years
Most people update their will once or twice over a decade — new children, marriage, divorce, house move. With ClearLegacy you get one free amendment in the first 12 months, and rewrites cost £69. A solicitor typically charges £50–£150 per change or a full rewrite at full price. A reviewed online will plus two updates over 10 years is £69 + £69 + £69 = £207. A solicitor equivalent could easily exceed £600. See the wider price analysis on the how much should a will cost UK page or the affordability case on the cheap will UK page. For an editorial review of the best providers, see best online will UK.
The cheapest reviewed will in the UK
£69 single. £99 mirror. Same Wills Act 1837 compliance as a solicitor will. Reviewed by a qualified UK estate planner within 24 hours.
Start My Will Now →Frequently asked questions
Ready to skip the solicitor's office?
£69 single, £99 mirror. Reviewed by a qualified UK estate planner within 24 hours. No advisor calls, no Calendly, no subscription.
Start My Will Now →