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How Much Does a Will Cost in 2026?

DIY online: $0–$250. Attorney: $300–$1,000 for a simple will, $1,500–$5,000 for a full estate plan with trust. Over 60% of Americans don’t have a will — it costs less than you think.

Updated Mar 2026Legal$0–$5,000
Will & Estate Plan Cost Calculator
Compare DIY, online services, and attorney options for your situation
⚠️  Having any will is better than no will. If you die without a will (intestate), state law decides who gets your assets, a court appoints your children’s guardian, and probate takes longer and costs more. Even a free DIY will is better than nothing.

Will Cost by Method

MethodSimple WillWill + Trust PackageBest For
Free template / handwritten$0N/AYoung, single, minimal assets
Nolo Quicken WillMaker$35–$80$80–$130Budget-conscious, simple estates
LegalZoom$89–$249$249–$599Want some attorney review
Trust & Will$159–$259$399–$599Modern interface, good for families
Local attorney$300–$600$1,500–$3,000Moderate complexity, personalized advice
Estate planning specialist$600–$1,500$2,500–$5,000+Complex estates, tax planning, business owners
How Costs Compare
8%
13%
25%
51%
Nolo Quicken WillMaker 3%
LegalZoom 8%
Trust & Will 13%
Local attorney 25%
Estate planning specialis 51%

Will vs. Trust: Cost Comparison

FactorWill OnlyWill + Revocable Trust
Upfront cost$300–$600$1,500–$3,000
Goes through probate?Yes (6–18 months)No (assets transfer immediately)
Probate cost (3–7% of estate)$15,000–$35,000 on $500K estate$0
PrivacyPublic recordPrivate
Incapacity protectionNo (need separate POA)Yes (successor trustee manages)
Net cost for $500K estate$15,500–$35,600$1,500–$3,000

Pro Tips for Creating a Will

A trust saves money for estates over $100K. A will costs $300–$600 upfront but your estate pays 3–7% in probate costs later. A trust costs $1,500–$3,000 upfront but avoids probate entirely. On a $200,000 estate, probate costs $6,000–$14,000. The trust pays for itself many times over.
Online services are fine for simple situations. If you are single or married with no kids, have a straightforward asset picture (home, bank accounts, retirement), and want to leave everything to one or two people, an online service at $89–$250 works perfectly. The documents are legally valid in all 50 states.
Use an attorney if your situation is complex. Blended families, business ownership, property in multiple states, special needs beneficiaries, or estates over $1 million all benefit from professional advice. The $300–$1,500 attorney fee is trivial compared to the cost of a poorly drafted will that gets contested ($10,000–$50,000+ in litigation).
Name a guardian for minor children. If you have kids under 18, the will is where you name their guardian. Without this, a court decides who raises your children. This alone is worth the cost of a will. Discuss it with the potential guardian before naming them.
Do not forget beneficiary designations. Life insurance, retirement accounts (401k, IRA), and bank accounts with TOD/POD designations pass outside of your will. These beneficiary designations override whatever your will says. Review them annually — many people have an ex-spouse still listed on a life insurance policy years after divorce.
Get a power of attorney and healthcare directive at the same time. These cost $50–$200 extra with an attorney or are included in most online service packages. A financial power of attorney lets someone manage your finances if you become incapacitated. A healthcare directive specifies your medical wishes. Without these, your family may need a court-appointed conservatorship ($3,000–$10,000).

The Real Cost of Not Having a Will

Dying without a will (intestate) triggers a state-determined distribution of your assets that may not match your wishes. Your spouse may not inherit everything — in many states, children automatically receive a share. Unmarried partners inherit nothing. A court appoints your children’s guardian based on its judgment, not yours. Probate without a will takes longer (12–24 months vs 6–12 months with one) and costs more. Family disputes over inheritance are far more common and more expensive when there is no will — contested estates cost $10,000–$100,000+ in legal fees and can permanently destroy family relationships.

When to Update Your Will

Review your will every 3–5 years at minimum. Update immediately after: marriage or divorce, birth or adoption of a child, death of a beneficiary or executor, purchase of a home or significant asset, starting or selling a business, moving to a new state (estate laws vary significantly), receiving a large inheritance, and major changes in tax law. A codicil (amendment) costs $100–$300 with an attorney. If you need multiple changes, a full rewrite ($300–$600) is often cleaner and less likely to cause confusion.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a simple will cost?▼
Free to $600 depending on method. Free handwritten or template wills work for very simple situations. Online services (LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Nolo) cost $89–$250. A local attorney charges $300–$600 for a simple will. The attorney route gives you personalized advice and catches issues a template might miss.
Do I need a trust or just a will?▼
If your estate is worth over $100,000 (including your home), a trust is likely worth the extra cost because it avoids probate (3–7% of estate value, 6–18 months). If you have minor children, a trust also provides structured inheritance so an 18-year-old does not receive a lump sum. If you are young with minimal assets and no kids, a simple will is sufficient for now and you can add a trust later.
Is LegalZoom good for making a will?▼
LegalZoom is fine for simple to moderate estates. Their will package ($89–$249) produces legally valid documents, and their trust package ($249–$599) is significantly cheaper than an attorney. The main limitation is that you do not get personalized legal advice — the platform asks standard questions and generates documents from templates. For complex situations, an attorney who understands your specific circumstances is worth the extra cost.
Can I write my own will without a lawyer?▼
Yes, no state requires an attorney to create a valid will. Handwritten (holographic) wills are valid in about 25 states without witnesses. Typed wills typically require 2 witnesses and notarization. The risk of DIY is making technical errors: improper witnessing, ambiguous language, or failing to account for state-specific requirements. Online services mitigate most of these risks at a low cost.
How much does it cost to update a will?▼
A codicil (formal amendment) costs $100–$300 with an attorney. A full rewrite costs $300–$600. Online services often let you update for free or for a small annual fee ($19–$39/year). If you are making more than 2–3 changes, a full rewrite is cleaner than multiple codicils and less likely to cause interpretation problems.
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Trust CostEstate PlanningProbate CostPower of AttorneyFuneral CostLife Insurance
📊 Data Sources
Pricing from LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Nolo, and state bar association attorney fee surveys. Updated March 2026. Not legal advice. Methodology.