Side-by-side comparison
| Provider | Single Will | Mirror Wills | Turnaround | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClearLegacy | £69 | £99 | 24 hours | Online · estate-planner reviewed |
| Farewill | £100 | £165 | ~5 working days | Online · phone consultation |
| Co-op Legal Services | From £150 | From £245 | 2–3 weeks | Phone or online · SRA-regulated |
| High-street solicitor | £150–£400 | £250–£600 | 2–4 weeks | Face-to-face · SRA-regulated |
Prices are typical published rates at time of writing (May 2026). Source: provider websites.
Who is Co-op Legal Services?
Co-op Legal Services is the legal-services arm of the Co-operative Group, operating in England and Wales. It is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) as an Alternative Business Structure, which means it can offer legal services using non-solicitor staff under partner supervision. It writes wills, runs probate cases, and offers family-law services.
What are "online will services"?
"Online will services" is a broad term covering several providers. The two largest reviewed services in the UK are ClearLegacy (£69 single, £99 mirror, 24-hour turnaround) and Farewill (£100 single, £165 mirror, 5 working days). Both produce wills compliant with the Wills Act 1837 and both review every will before release. Neither is SRA-regulated, because will-writing is not a reserved legal activity.
Pricing — how the numbers compare
For a single standard will:
- Co-op: from around £150
- Farewill: £100
- ClearLegacy: £69
For mirror wills (two matching wills for a couple):
- Co-op: from around £245
- Farewill: £165
- ClearLegacy: £99
Co-op pricing can rise above the starting figures for complex estates or specific trust requirements. Online services use fixed pricing — the questionnaire flags anything outside scope and you are not charged extra for complexity that fits the standard flow.
Review process
Co-op
Co-op assigns the will to a will-writer who supervises drafting and conducts a phone consultation. The will-writer's work is overseen by a solicitor partner under SRA arrangements. Drafts are typically reviewed by the will-writer rather than by a separate qualified second pair of eyes.
Reviewed online services (ClearLegacy, Farewill)
Both services generate the draft from a structured questionnaire and pass it to a qualified estate planner for review. ClearLegacy's review is included in the £69 fee; Farewill bundles a 30-minute phone consultation into the £100 fee. The reviewer checks the residuary clause, executor appointment, substitution and guardianship clauses.
Delivery time
Online services are dramatically faster:
- ClearLegacy: within 24 hours from completed questionnaire and payment
- Farewill: around 5 working days (the phone slot drives the timeline)
- Co-op: 2–3 weeks (phone consultation plus partner review)
Legal validity — is one "more valid"?
No. UK will validity is determined by the Wills Act 1837. A correctly drafted and properly witnessed will is legally valid regardless of who drafted it. The Probate Registry treats a £69 reviewed online will identically to a £150 Co-op will identically to a £500 high-street solicitor will.
The differences are commercial and procedural, not legal. SRA regulation is a service-level commitment — the firm has professional indemnity insurance, follows SRA Code of Conduct, and is bound by SRA complaints processes. It is not a legal requirement for the will to be valid.
Pros and cons
Co-op — pros
- SRA-regulated firm
- Phone consultation included
- Well-known brand backed by the Co-operative Group
- Capable of handling complex estates with trust structures
- Probate services available from the same provider
Co-op — cons
- Around 2x the cost of cheapest reviewed online service
- 2–3 week turnaround
- Phone slot needs to be scheduled
- Complexity surcharges can apply
Online wills (ClearLegacy / Farewill) — pros
- From £69 (single) / £99 (mirror)
- 24-hour to 5-working-day turnaround
- Fixed pricing — no complexity surcharges within scope
- Qualified estate-planner review on every will
- Complete online — no appointments needed
Online wills — cons
- Not SRA-regulated
- No phone consultation by default (ClearLegacy)
- Not suitable for very complex estates with bespoke trusts or business succession
- No same-firm probate handling
When Co-op is the better choice
- You specifically want an SRA-regulated firm and value the consumer protections that come with it
- You prefer phone or in-person interaction over an online questionnaire
- You have a complex estate with bespoke trust requirements, foreign property, or business succession arrangements
- You want a single provider that can handle probate later as well
When an online will is the better choice
- You have a standard UK estate with straightforward beneficiaries
- You want a fixed, low price with no surcharges
- You want the will delivered quickly (24 hours to 5 working days)
- You're comfortable answering an online questionnaire without a phone call
- You're not willing to pay 2x for SRA regulation alone, having understood that legal validity does not require it
The bottom line
Both routes produce a legally valid will. Co-op is the right answer if you want SRA regulation, phone time, and complex-estate handling — and you accept the higher price and longer wait. A reviewed online service is the right answer if your estate is standard, you want speed, and you don't see the value in paying twice as much for the same legal document.
ClearLegacy is the lowest-priced reviewed option, Farewill sits in the middle, and Co-op is the higher-cost SRA-regulated route. There isn't a "best" — only the right fit for the estate and the customer.
Frequently asked questions
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