Updated July 23, 2026. Quick answer: A legally valid will costs anywhere from $0 to about $1,000. Free: FreeWill (will, financial power of attorney, healthcare directive, all 50 states). DIY platforms: $109–$299 individual. Attorney-drafted: a simple will has a median of $625, with the middle half of firms charging $450–$1,000 (2026 nationwide study of 909 firms); most estate planning clients pay a flat fee, and packages that add powers of attorney and healthcare directives commonly run $500–$2,000. The price differences are about scope and complexity — the legal validity of a properly executed will is the same at every price.
Fast routes: Estate planning cost guide | How much a living trust costs | Will vs trust breakeven calculator | Small-estate limits by state
How much a will costs in 2026: every major route
| Route | Individual | Couple | What’s included |
|---|---|---|---|
| FreeWill | $0 | $0 | Last will, durable financial POA, advance healthcare directive; funded by nonprofit partnerships that invite (never require) charitable bequests |
| Quicken WillMaker (Nolo) | $109 Starter / $149 Plus (list, software) | Wills, healthcare directives, final arrangements; Plus adds POAs, living trust, transfer-on-death deed | |
| LegalZoom | $129 / $149 / $299 | $229 / $249 / $399 | Basic will; Pro adds POAs, healthcare directive, HIPAA, attorney consults; Premium adds revisions — upper tiers renew as subscriptions |
| Trust & Will (Will Plan) | $199 | $299 | Will, HIPAA authorization, living will, power of attorney; optional $49/yr membership |
| Rocket Lawyer | Membership $149–$349/yr | Documents through membership rather than per-document pricing | |
| Attorney — simple will | Median $625; middle 50% $450–$1,000 | Custom drafting and execution guidance; flat fees are the norm | |
| Attorney — will package | Commonly $500–$2,000; full plans $2,000–$5,000+ | Will + financial POA + healthcare directive, coordinated as a plan | |
Platform prices were read from each company’s own pricing page on July 23, 2026 (list prices; promotional discounts and subscription renewals noted). Attorney figures: LegalTemplates 2026 study of 909 firms (published by a DIY-documents vendor — disclosed because that interest could bias it upward; NCOA and marketplace data broadly corroborate) and NCOA (Dec 2025).
What makes a will cost more
Complexity, not paper. The documented drivers: blended families and non-standard distributions, business ownership, out-of-state or international property, larger or potentially taxable estates, and metro-area pricing. If several of those apply, the marginal cost of proper drafting is small next to the cost of a fight later — and at that complexity level the real question usually becomes will-based versus trust-based planning, which is fee math we compute in the will vs trust breakeven calculator.
Is a $0–$200 will enough? Often, yes — check three things
- Your estate may skip probate anyway. Every state lets small estates bypass formal probate — check your state’s threshold in our small-estate limits table. Below it, an inexpensive valid will plus good beneficiary designations covers most situations.
- Beneficiary designations outrank the will. Retirement accounts, life insurance, and TOD/POD registrations pass outside the will entirely — keeping them current is free and matters more than the will’s price tag.
- Execution formalities decide validity. A will is valid because it is signed and witnessed per your state’s law, not because it was expensive. Whatever route you choose, follow the signing instructions exactly — it is the cheap step people skip.
When to step up from DIY to an attorney
The honest heuristic from the cost data: if your situation is simple, the $0–$200 routes buy the same legal instrument; if any complexity driver above applies, the $450–$1,000 attorney flat fee buys judgment, not just documents. And if your estate would face meaningful probate costs — see your state in the probate cost table — compare the trust route before spending anything: the living trust cost guide shows what that upgrade actually costs.
Documents are one piece of the plan
Wills interact with beneficiary designations, retirement accounts, and taxes — coordination is where professional help earns its fee. See how the advisor matching services compare if you want that help.
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Methodology
This page was materially reviewed on July 23, 2026. Platform prices are from each company’s public pricing page as of that date; survey figures are attributed inline with publisher interests disclosed. Figures are educational benchmarks, not quotes, and prices change. Nothing here is legal, tax, or personalized financial advice. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.
What actually changes when a spouse dies
The tax side is stated wrong more often than almost anything else in this area:
- The single brackets are exactly half the joint brackets — five times out of six, and the sixth favours you
- The two-year widow filing status needs a dependent child — without one it does not apply at all
- In nine states both halves get a new basis — in the other forty-one, only one half
- Rolling over the IRA under 59½ closes your penalty-free access permanently
- Portability must be elected on a return you were not otherwise required to file