Originally published: February 3, 2015 | Last updated: July 28, 2025
How Much Does a Will Actually Cost?
The cost of a Will varies dramatically depending on how you create it. Here is the full pricing spectrum:
| Method | Cost | Quality | Legal Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free download / blank form | $0–$5 | Poor — blank template with no guidance | Technically legal if signed, but likely to fail in practice |
| Online interactive service (USLegalWills.com) | $39.95 | Professional — identical to lawyer-drafted Will | Fully legal, state-specific, with error checking |
| Estate planning lawyer | $600–$2,000+ | Professional — uses the same software | Fully legal, includes optional legal advice |
The ongoing challenge we face at USLegalWills.com is explaining how our Wills at $39.95 work in exactly the same way as a Will written for $800 — while also differentiating our service from free download sites where the cost of a Will is nothing or at most $5.
What Is Wrong with Free or $5 Will Templates?
Members of the legal profession will tell you that you get what you pay for when it comes to a Will, and to some extent we agree. Many free document downloads offer little more than a Microsoft Word template with a heading in a scripted font, some blank lines, and a few legal phrases thrown in for authenticity.
Technically, if one of these documents is signed in the presence of two witnesses, it is a legal Will. But will it actually work? A well-drafted Will is typically 5–6 pages and includes:
- Backup appointments for Executor, guardians, and beneficiaries
- Alternate distribution plans in case your entire family is involved in a common accident
- Trust provisions for minor beneficiaries — appointing a trustee, setting trust terms (at what age the child receives everything), and granting powers to the trustee to use proceeds for the child’s benefit
- Executor powers — authority to invest assets before distribution, hire professional help, and divide assets among beneficiaries
- Residual estate clauses — catch-all provisions for assets not specifically mentioned
When you see a well-drafted Will, you appreciate the hopeless inadequacy of a blank template. We tested a $5 Will service and found that the page for distributing the estate was literally a blank piece of paper. An estate planning attorney would struggle to complete it, let alone a member of the public.
Why Do Lawyers Charge So Much for a Will?
There is no standard pricing for a lawyer-drafted Will. Even for the most common scenario — a couple with children where the spouse is the primary beneficiary with an alternate plan dividing the estate among the children, including minor trusts and guardian appointments — the cost of a Will varies wildly from a couple hundred dollars to $2,000.
How Do Lawyers Actually Create Wills?
Lawyers do not type up your Will from scratch on a blank piece of paper, crafting complex legal clauses from their training. They use software. The most widely used platform for legal professionals is Interactive Legal, which promises to “improve your productivity — eliminate 50+ hours per year of drudgery.” The software does for the lawyer essentially what USLegalWills.com does for you directly.
In many law offices, an office clerk prepares the Will using this software. So where does the $800–$2,000 price tag come from? It is driven by market expectations. Lawyers charge this because people are willing to pay it, based on the belief that spending $800 on a Will is small compared to the size of the estate.
What Is the Hidden Cost of Using a Lawyer?
Warning: Be cautious of estate planning lawyers who prepare your Will for under $250. Some require you to name them as the estate Executor without fully explaining the fees involved. Executor fees can be charged as:
- A percentage of the total estate value
- An hourly billing rate
- Some lawyers charge both, which is unconscionable
In these cases, the true cost of a Will can be tens of thousands of dollars in executor fees that come out of your estate after you pass away.
What Does USLegalWills.com Offer for $39.95?
At $39.95, USLegalWills.com produces a Will that is word-for-word identical to what a lawyer would generate. We know this because customers regularly tell us the same story: they use our service as a “temporary” Will before a trip or surgery, intending to get a “proper Will” from a lawyer afterward. They pay $800 only to find their lawyer-drafted Will is identical to the one they already created online.
The reason is straightforward: lawyers use software to prepare Wills, and we use the same type of software — we just give you direct access.
What Does the $39.95 Include?
- State-specific document — customized for the laws of your jurisdiction
- Error checking — the service validates your choices and flags potential issues
- Free updates — modify your Will at any time through your online account
- Customer support — North America-based team that responds to emails within the hour and answers all calls
- Ongoing legal compliance — the service is continuously updated to reflect changes in state and federal law
- Additional tools — access to MyLifeLocker (executor tool), MyMessages, and the KeyHolder™ mechanism
Every path through our service was reviewed and signed off by estate planning attorneys. The legal fees were paid upfront in creating the service — you do not pay exorbitant hourly rates for our time.
Cost of a Will: Complete Comparison
| Feature | Free Template | USLegalWills.com | Estate Planning Lawyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $0–$5 | $39.95 | $600–$2,000+ |
| State-specific | No | Yes | Yes |
| Backup appointments | No | Yes | Yes |
| Minor trusts | No | Yes | Yes |
| Error checking | No | Yes | Yes |
| Free updates | N/A | Yes | No — $800+ per update |
| Legal advice | No | No | Yes |
| Convenience | Download only | From home, anytime | Office appointment required |
The Bottom Line
Our mission at USLegalWills.com is simple: nobody should be priced out of preparing a Will, and nobody should be forced to use a blank-form kit that will create problems for their loved ones. Our Wills at $39.95 are every bit as legal as a Will prepared by a $1,000-per-hour lawyer. The only difference is that you do not have to leave your home, and you can update it at any time.
Prepare your Will today at USLegalWills.com.
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He has over 20 years of experience helping people to write their Will and other estate planning documents. He has been interviewed by many of the major news media outlets, and has contributed to articles in The New York Times, NY Metro Parents, U.S. News & World Report, and other leading publications. He has also contributed to a number of financial planning books.
Throughout his career, Tim has written extensively on the subject of Will writing and estate planning.
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