Side-by-side: online Will vs solicitor will
| Online Will (ClearLegacy) | High-street Solicitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost (single Will) | £69 fixed | £150–£400 |
| Cost (mirror Wills) | £99 fixed | £250–£600 |
| Turnaround | 24 hours | 1–3 weeks plus appointment |
| Process | Online questionnaire (~15 min) | Face-to-face appointment (~45 min) |
| Review | Structured automated review | Solicitor |
| Legal validity (Wills Act 1837) | ✓ Same | ✓ Same |
| Probate-court acceptance | ✓ Same | ✓ Same |
| SRA regulated | No (not required for Wills) | Yes |
Why the legal product is identical
Will-writing is not a "reserved legal activity" under the Legal Services Act 2007. That means a solicitor's involvement is not a legal requirement — anyone capable of drafting a valid Will can do so. What matters is whether the finished document meets section 9 of the Wills Act 1837: in writing, signed by the testator in the presence of two adult witnesses, who then sign in the presence of the testator.
An online Will at ClearLegacy meets every requirement. So does a solicitor will. They are legally indistinguishable in probate.
What you actually pay extra for at a solicitor
- Office overhead. Rent on a Georgian building in a market town isn't free. You're paying for it.
- Hourly billing. A 45-minute appointment at £200/hour is £150 just for the meeting, before drafting.
- Wider expertise. A solicitor can also do conveyancing, divorce, commercial leases. For a simple will, that breadth isn't needed.
- SRA regulation. Useful for high-stakes legal work; not legally required for Wills.
When to genuinely use a solicitor instead
An online Will is wrong for some estates. Use a solicitor if:
- You have discretionary trusts for vulnerable beneficiaries
- You own foreign property in jurisdictions with different succession rules
- You have business interests with shareholder agreements
- You're in a contested family situation (estranged children, second marriage with disputes)
- You need active inheritance tax planning beyond what a standard will covers
For everyone else — homeowners, couples, parents with named guardians, people with named beneficiaries — an online Will is the right choice. We'll flag during review if your situation looks like it needs a solicitor and refer you out.
ClearLegacy pricing — fixed fees, no surprises
Single Will
For one person. Legally valid in England & Wales. Checked by our automated review and delivered within 24 hours.
Start Single WillMirror Wills
Two matching Wills for couples. Save £39 versus buying two singles. Both reviewed and emailed within 24 hours.
Start Mirror WillsHow we compare on price
| Provider | Single Will | Mirror Wills | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ClearLegacy | £69 | £99 | Online · quality-checked · 24-hour turnaround |
| Farewill | £100 | £160 | Online · review-by-phone |
| Co-op Legal Services | £150+ | £245+ | Phone or online |
| High-street solicitor | £150–£400 | £250–£600 | Face-to-face appointments |
| DIY kit (WHSmith etc.) | £20–£40 | £40–£80 | Paper · no review |
Prices are typical published rates at time of writing (May 2026). Sources: provider websites; Law Society for solicitor ranges.
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 structured questionnaire asks the same questions in the same order every time, and a structured automated review checks the result against the Wills Act 1837 before release. That consistency is why a reviewed online Will is less likely to miss a guardian clause than a rushed 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.
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 update after payment, 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. Checked against the Wills Act 1837 and delivered within 24 hours.
Start My Will — £69 →Frequently asked questions
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