How much does a will cost?
The short answer
A will can cost nothing from a free online tool, about $129 to $299 from paid online services, and $550 to $1,750 at two law firms that publish their prices, checked in October 2026. A lawyer's package that adds powers of attorney and a health care directive costs more than a will by itself.
How much does a will cost? It depends on who writes it, and on what comes with it. A free online form and a lawyer's package can both produce a valid will, yet they are very different things.
This page sets out real prices we found published in October 2026, from online services and from law firms. It is part of our guide to estate planning documents, which explains what a will does and what it leaves to other documents.
The short version: three ways to get a will
Here are the prices we found on each company's or firm's own pages. These are examples, not averages. Nobody publishes a reliable national average for what a will costs.
| Way to get a will | Example published price | Source, checked October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Free online tool | $0 | FreeWill |
| Paid online service, will only | $129 (LegalZoom Basic Will) | LegalZoom will packages |
| Paid online service, will plus health care and financial documents | $149 to $299 (LegalZoom); from $199 (Trust & Will Will Plan) | LegalZoom, Trust & Will pricing |
| Lawyer, simple will only (one Seattle firm) | $550 for one person, $800 for a couple | Law Offices of Kate Jones fee schedule |
| Lawyer, will package (same Seattle firm) | $995 for one person, $1,695 for a couple | Law Offices of Kate Jones fee schedule |
| Lawyer, will package (one California firm) | $1,750 for one person, $2,950 for a couple | West Coast Health Law fee schedule |
The lawyer prices come from two firms that happen to publish their fees. Many firms don't. Treat them as a sense of scale, and ask any lawyer you call for a written quote.
What does a lawyer's will cost by the hour?
Some lawyers charge by the hour instead of a flat fee. The best public figures we found come from a state bar survey.
The State Bar of Michigan's 2026 survey asked lawyers for their 2025 rates. For "probate estate planning, wills, and trusts," the median was $325 an hour (State Bar of Michigan). The middle half of lawyers charged between $280 and $390.
That is one state. We did not find a comparable survey published by the Washington State Bar Association. We also found no reliable public figure for how many hours a simple will takes.
Our post on what an estate planning attorney costs goes further into hourly and flat fees, and what a full plan includes.
What the price actually buys
The cheapest will and the dearest will can say very similar things. What changes is the help around it.
- A free or low-cost online will walks you through questions and produces the document. You print it, sign it and arrange the witnesses yourself.
- A paid online package usually adds a health care directive, powers of attorney and a period of attorney phone calls. LegalZoom's $149 and $299 packages include these; its $129 Basic package is only the will (LegalZoom).
- A lawyer's package adds advice about your situation, a draft reviewed with you, and usually a supervised signing. The Seattle firm's $995 package includes a will and a durable power of attorney for finances and health care. It adds a health care directive and a disposition of remains form.
Our post on online wills covers what the online route leaves out, and when that matters.
The extra costs people forget
A quoted price is not always the whole bill. These are the extras we saw listed on published fee schedules.
- A first consultation. The Seattle firm charges $400 for a first consultation. It applies that to the package if you go ahead (Kate Jones fee schedule). Others offer a free first meeting, so ask.
- Witnesses. Washington requires two competent witnesses for a will (RCW 11.12.020). The same firm charges $60 for each witness it supplies.
- Home or hospital signings. Travel beyond a short distance, and rushed signings, were billed extra on that schedule.
- Ongoing attorney plans. LegalZoom's Pro package renews at $25 a month after 30 days unless you cancel. Its $299 package renews at $199 a year (LegalZoom).
The cost that comes later
A will's price is paid once, when you sign. Its real work happens after your death, through probate, the court process for settling an estate.
A will only controls what passes through probate. Accounts with a named beneficiary, joint accounts with survivorship and trust assets pass another way. That is why some people pay more up front for a trust; our post on what a living trust costs compares the two.
A will also names your executor, the person who settles the estate. Choosing who that will be matters as much as the price of the paper. If the people you'd name are your own age or live far away, our guide on choosing professional help lays out the options.
Which route fits you?
| If this sounds like you | A sensible starting point |
|---|---|
| Your affairs are simple and you're comfortable arranging witnesses | A free or low-cost online will |
| You also want powers of attorney and a health care directive, for a modest one-time price | A paid online package |
| You own a home in more than one state, have a blended family or want advice | A lawyer, on a flat fee if possible |
| You'd like to avoid probate | Compare a will with a living trust |
| You don't have someone you want to ask to serve as executor | Look at who could be named, before the documents |
A Kinly membership is another route, priced differently. It includes a will, a revocable trust and medical and financial powers of attorney, written for your state. It costs $999 a year for one person (pricing). It also names a trust company that can serve in those roles.
Common questions
How much does a simple will cost from a lawyer?
One Seattle firm publishes $550 for a simple will for one person. Its $995 package adds powers of attorney and a health care directive. A California firm lists $1,750 for its will package. Prices vary by firm and place, so ask for a written flat-fee quote.
Is a free online will legal?
It can be, if you sign it the way your state requires. In Washington that means signing in writing with two competent witnesses, under RCW 11.12.020. The tool that produced it doesn't make it valid; the signing does.
Why does a lawyer cost so much more than an online will?
You are paying for advice about your situation, a reviewed draft and usually a supervised signing. Online services produce the document from your answers, and some add limited attorney calls. Whether advice is worth it depends on how complicated your affairs are.
Do I need to pay to update my will later?
Usually, yes, unless an ongoing plan includes revisions. LegalZoom's $299 package includes a year of revisions, then renews at $199 a year. A lawyer may charge a flat fee or hourly for changes, so ask when you first hire them.
Sources
- FreeWill: home page (checked October 2026)
- LegalZoom: Will packages (checked October 2026)
- Trust & Will: Pricing (checked October 2026)
- Law Offices of Kate Jones, PLLC: Estate planning fee schedule, Seattle (checked October 2026)
- West Coast Health Law: Estate planning fee schedule, California (checked October 2026)
- State Bar of Michigan: 2026 Economics of Law Practice Survey results (checked October 2026)
- RCW 11.12.020: Requisites of wills (Washington State Legislature)
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws vary by state.