Free Will Writing Schemes in the UK: Which Ones Are Genuinely Free?

Free will writing schemes let you get a will drafted at no cost, usually by a solicitor, in return for an optional charity donation. In England and Wales the three main UK-wide schemes are Free Wills Month, for people aged 55 and over, Will Aid, which runs every November, and the year-round National Free Wills Network. Each covers a simple will only.

This guide sets out who qualifies for each scheme, when they run in 2026, and the charity-gift expectation most pages gloss over. It then covers the part the roundups skip: the estates a free simple will is not built for, so you can tell in advance whether free is enough. Figures describe England and Wales and are subject to change.

What free will writing schemes are available in the UK?

Six routes offer a free or near-free will in England and Wales: Free Wills Month, Will Aid, the National Free Wills Network, individual charity schemes, trade union or employer services, and online will providers. The three national schemes below are the ones most people use. Each covers a straightforward will; complex estates usually fall outside them.

Sources: freewillsmonth.org.uk, willaid.org.uk, nationalfreewills.net, as at August 2026, subject to change.

What is Free Wills Month and who qualifies?

Free Wills Month lets people aged 55 and over have a simple will written or updated for free by a participating solicitor. It runs twice a year, in March and October, when a group of charities covers the solicitor's fee. For couples, only one partner needs to be 55 or over, and both can have mirror wills done at no cost.

You register on the campaign website when a wave is running, then book an appointment with a taking-part solicitor in your area. Places are limited and go quickly, so booking early in the month helps. A gift to one of the supporting charities in your will is invited but not a condition, a point we return to below.

How does Will Aid work?

Will Aid runs every November, when solicitors across the UK waive their usual fee to write a basic will and invite a voluntary donation to charity instead. There is no age limit, so it suits adults of any age who need a straightforward will. The suggested donation is £120 for a single will and £200 for a pair of mirror wills, though you decide the amount.

Donations are shared between eight partner charities, including the British Red Cross, NSPCC and Shelter. You book directly with a participating solicitor, and appointments fill through the autumn, so early booking is sensible. As with any free scheme, it covers simple wills; a solicitor may quote separately for anything more involved.

Source: willaid.org.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change.

What is the National Free Wills Network?

The National Free Wills Network gives you a free, solicitor-drafted simple will year round, but you reach it through a charity you support rather than by applying directly. Hundreds of charities take part; you ask one for a voucher, which you take to a local solicitor on the network. It runs all year, so there is no waiting for a set month.

Individual charities such as Cancer Research UK, Macmillan and the RSPB also run their own free will services, sometimes online and sometimes through solicitors, occasionally with an age or past-donation condition. Trade unions and some employers offer free wills as a member benefit as well. In every case the charity hopes you will leave it a gift, though you are not obliged to.

Are free wills legally valid, and what is the catch?

A will made through a reputable free scheme is as legally valid as one you pay for, provided it is signed and witnessed correctly. The catch is not validity but scope and expectation: these schemes cover simple wills only, and each is run to encourage gifts to charity. Understanding both before you book prevents disappointment.

1. Charity gift: schemes are funded by charities that hope you will leave a legacy, and Free Wills Month and the network are built around it. You are asked, not required, to include a gift, and your will is valid either way.
2. Simple wills only: a free will typically leaves everything to a spouse and then children, or splits an estate in fixed shares. Anything needing a trust, tax planning or careful wording usually costs extra or is declined.
3. Regulation: will writing itself is not a reserved legal activity in England and Wales, so anyone can offer it. Schemes using solicitors carry professional regulation and insurance; some online services do not, so check who is drafting and checking your will.

If your affairs are straightforward, a free scheme is a sound way to get a properly drawn will. Our guide on DIY will templates and their risks explains why a supervised free will is safer than a shop-bought kit you complete alone.

What a free will will not cover

Free schemes are built for simple estates, so several common situations sit outside a basic free will. These are the ones we see catch people out in practice. Where one applies, the free will may still be valid but leave real problems, extra tax or family disputes that tailored drafting would have avoided.

1. Inheritance tax planning: a simple will does not structure your estate around the £325,000 nil-rate band or the residence nil-rate band of up to £175,000, so estates above the thresholds can pay 40% that planning might have reduced. See our inheritance tax overview.
2. Trusts: protecting a share of your home, providing for a disabled beneficiary, or ring-fencing money for young children needs trust wording a free simple will will not include.
3. Blended families: leaving assets to a new partner while protecting children from an earlier relationship usually needs a life-interest trust rather than an outright gift.
4. Business or farm assets: a company, a partnership share or farmland needs succession and relief planning, especially after the business and agricultural relief changes from 6 April 2026.
5. Property or assets abroad: a foreign holiday home or overseas accounts can bring another country's inheritance rules into play, which a UK simple will does not address.

None of this means a free scheme is a poor choice; for a straightforward estate it is often ideal. It means matching the will to the estate. Broader estate planning exists for the cases a simple will was never designed to handle.

Should you use a free scheme or pay for a will?

Use a free scheme when your estate is simple and you are happy to be asked for a charity gift; pay for a will when your situation needs planning a simple will cannot give. The test is the shape of your estate and family, not the size of your bank balance. Work through the checks below before you book.

1. List who you want to benefit and in what shares, including anyone you deliberately leave out.
2. Note anything that complicates matters: a second marriage, stepchildren, a business, a trust, care worries or assets abroad.
3. Estimate your estate against the tax-free thresholds, so you know whether inheritance tax is likely.
4. If none of the complications apply and you are under the thresholds, a free scheme is usually enough; book Free Wills Month, Will Aid or a charity route.
5. If one or more applies, get a tailored will and a plan; compare what that costs on our pricing page.

Fairchild Oldfield are estate planning specialists and will writers, not solicitors, and we say so where an estate needs legal or regulated financial advice. If you are unsure which route fits, book a consultation and we will tell you plainly whether a free scheme will do.

Frequently asked questions

These are the questions we are asked most about free will writing schemes. Each answer reflects the position in England and Wales as at August 2026 and describes general rules rather than advice on your own will. Scheme dates, donations and eligibility are set by the organisers and can change, so check the campaign website before booking.