Cheap Will writing services – is there a catch?
23rd April 2025
We have noticed a growing number of adverts pop up on social media recently for ‘cheap Will writing’.
Upon looking further into these adverts, many of these companies that offer “Local Will Writing for Coventry Residents” for example, are not local at all – in fact one of the companies we found were actually based in Gibraltar!
As a firm of solicitors, you would expect us to advise you to use us to write your Will…. And that is true – but we explain our reasonings for this below.
What is the difference between Will writing companies and Solicitors?
The main difference between Will writing companies and solicitors is that anyone can become a Will writer – many aspects of planning are non-regulated, meaning anyone can write a Will, regardless of training or expertise – whereas Solicitors are regulated and have to adhere to strict codes of conduct. It is unlikely that Will writers are fully legally qualified, but if they’re a member of a recognised trade body, they have at least been trained in Wills and estate planning.
An experienced Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive undergoes years of study, training and practice to assist clients, they will firstly obtain a full understanding of your family dynamics and financial circumstances, and with this insight will then offer tailored Will advice as to the type of Will – be it basic or more complicated – that meets your needs and does so in the most tax-efficient way. They will also oversee the signing and witnessing of your Will to make sure that the process is properly carried out and can advise on additional services to complement a Will, such as a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or Trusts. They have also good professional relationships with other local professionals such as financial advisors if required.
Solicitors firms are members of The Law Society and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The SRA regulate all solicitors and most law firms in England and Wales. They protect and help the public by making sure solicitors and law firms meet their high standards, they take action against solicitors who don’t follow their rules – for instance, by taking someone’s money or acting dishonestly and people can get their documents and money back, if, for example, a law firm shuts down suddenly. If an issue were to arise regarding the validity of your Will, you have the security of the regulation authorities, alongside this, solicitors are required by law to have adequate professional indemnity insurance.
Members of our team have STEP accreditation – STEP members are internationally recognised as experts in their field, with proven qualifications and experience. As specialists in inheritance and succession planning, STEP members draft Wills and trusts, administer estates, act as trustees and advise families on how best to structure their finances to ensure compliance and best preserve their assets for future generations.
What is more, we work in partnership with Certainty the National Will Register. This allows us to register your Will, which is included in our fee, as well as Will search and Will Management services.
DIY Wills
You may have also seen that you can purchase ‘DIY Wills’ online or even from shops. Are they legally binding? It depends! The validity of a Will depends on certain requirements being met, including that the person making the Will has adequate mental capacity to make it in the first place. A simple mistake in the drafting of a Will can potentially render it invalid.
DIY Wills can cause many problems even if they are perfectly valid and appear relatively simple. They can become outdated very quickly without professional advice and future planning, and are often made without taking into account important factors that a trained professional would identify.
Depending on you and your beneficiaries’ circumstances, a very basic DIY Will could end up costing a great deal of money to your beneficiaries once you have passed, sometimes in the hundreds of thousands of pounds. The law about inheritances and how they are taxed can be complex and things might change between when you write your will and when you die. That makes it risky to write your own Will without professional advice.
Charity Wills
We are all for leaving a charity donation in your Will, in fact it can even help with reducing inheritance tax bills. We regularly draft Wills for clients that include donations to charities, and we also take part in ‘Will weeks’ for local charities. However, charity Wills tend to only suit those needing very basic Wills. If your Will is considered to be more complex, such as involving high-value assets, inheritance tax planning, blended families, or business ownership, going directly to a solicitors’ firm is the best option to provide tailored advice to benefit both yourself and your beneficiaries in the future.
To summarise
In summary, a professional service will ensure your Will does what you want it to do. Free online or cheap Wills are not up to ensuring your wishes are respected and may well trigger a legal battle between loved ones. Getting a professional Will written can lead to peace of mind about your money going to the right people cost effectively. At BTTJ, our aim, quite simply is to make sure that you have a properly drafted Will in place and with it, peace of mind knowing that on your death, your estate will pass to your intended beneficiaries. As the saying goes… you get what you pay for!
If you require Will services, then please get in touch with one of our highly experienced and friendly team. Our Will specialists will take the time to understand your individual circumstances and will provide you with tailored advice.
Unlike the cheap Will writing adverts we have seen; we are truly local! We have offices in Coventry, Warwick, Balsall Common and Southam and our lawyers work across the whole of the Coventry and Warwickshire region. We can trace our beginnings back to 1797 and since then, we’ve not stopped developing great relationships with our clients.