Do you need a will now? Learn what one can cost before you call anyone.
How Much Does a Will Cost? Online Prices, Free Statutory Forms and Lawyer Fees
Learn how online wills, listed at $0 to $299, compare with the free forms two states print and a lawyer.
Quick answer
On October 14, 2026, four online will services listed a will for one person at $0 to $299: FreeWill $0, Nolo's Quicken WillMaker $109 to $219, LegalZoom $129 to $299 and Trust & Will $199. California and Michigan print a fill-in statutory will in their statutes that costs nothing to use. No state bar, court or government page we read publishes what lawyers charge for a will; your price depends on the documents, your family and the property involved.
Free tool
A will does not avoid probate. This free calculator shows you what probate would charge on an estate in your state.
Choose your state and enter an estate value to learn the attorney and executor fees its statute sets, tier by tier, or the rule where it sets no schedule, and the state's small-estate limit, each with its source.
By the Legal Cost by State Editorial Team·Last updated and source-checked October 14, 2026
What to do next
Three things you can check before you pay for anything.
1
Check whether your state is one of the two with a statutory fill-in will
California and Michigan print the whole form in their codes, and using it costs you only the paper; the section below tells you what the form can and cannot do.
2
Line up two adult witnesses
A paper will is signed by you, the person making it, and by two people who watched, as Arizona's statute puts it; that step costs nothing and decides whether the will is valid.
3
Decide whether to make it self-proved
That adds a notary to the signing, at the capped fee this page cites, and lets the court accept the will later without calling the witnesses.
What online will services list today
List prices on each company's own pricing page on October 14, 2026, for one person unless noted. Prices change, and listing one here endorses no service.
FreeWill: $0
FreeWill says its will tools are free, with no credit card required, and that nonprofits fund the service.
Nolo's Quicken WillMaker: $109, $149 or $219
WillMaker lists three plans: Starter at $109, Plus at $149 and All Access at $219. Its comparison table describes the $109 plan as the will product and $149 as the price with a trust. Changes are included for the first year; extending that revision period is an optional $39.99 a year.
LegalZoom: $129, $149 or $299
LegalZoom lists a Basic Will at $129, a Pro Will at $149 and a Premium Will at $299 for one person. For a couple the same three tiers list at $229, $249 and $399.
Trust & Will: $199
Trust & Will lists its Will Plan at $199 for one person. Attorney support is an added $299, and an optional membership with document storage lists at $49 a year.
Learn more. Tap a topic to open it.
Learn about the fill-in will forms California and Michigan print, and what they cannot do.
California and Michigan write a complete fill-in will into their codes. California Probate Code section 6240 sets out the California Statutory Will form. Michigan Compiled Laws section 700.2519 does the same for the Michigan statutory will and says a will made on that form, and otherwise signed as the form requires, is a valid will. Michigan also requires anyone who prints and hands out the form to print it word for word.
Either form costs you only the paper; the trade-off is flexibility. The California form says it is a simple will designed only for California residents, and its own question and answer section tells you to see a lawyer if the form does not fit your needs. A statutory form cannot set up a custom trust for a child with special needs or handle a family business in detail.
Learn what a valid signing needs, and what a notary adds and costs.
Most of what makes a will valid costs nothing. Arizona's statute is typical of states that follow the Uniform Probate Code: a paper will must be in writing, signed by the person making it, and signed by at least two people who watched the signing or heard the person acknowledge it (Arizona Revised Statutes section 14-2502).
A notary enters when a will is made self-proved. Under Arizona section 14-2504, the person making the will and the two witnesses sign an acknowledgment and affidavits before an officer authorized to give oaths. Notary fees are capped by state law: California caps an acknowledgment at $15 for each signature and an oath with its certificate at $15 (Government Code section 8211).
Learn how lawyers price a will, and California's written-contract rule.
We found no state bar, court or government page that publishes a fee range for a lawyer-drafted will, so this guide does not give one. Fees are set by each lawyer, either as a flat fee for a package of documents or by the hour.
California is one state that puts the terms in writing by law. When the total expense to a client is reasonably expected to exceed $1,000, the contract must be written and must state the basis of the fee, whether hourly rates, a flat fee or other charges (Business and Professions Code section 6148). The State Bar of California's pamphlet for seniors adds that you can ask for a receipt for any money you pay up front.
Learn what can raise your price: more documents, a couple, children, uneven shares, updates.
How many documents come with it
Many packages bundle a will with a financial power of attorney and a health care directive. A will alone costs less than a full set.
One person or a couple
Couples usually buy two wills. LegalZoom's couple prices run $100 more than its single prices at every tier.
Minor children
Naming a guardian is simple. Holding money for children until a set age needs trust language, which pushes a will past the simplest forms.
Blended families and unequal shares
Leaving property unevenly, or providing for a spouse and children from an earlier marriage, takes more drafting and more review.
Property in more than one state
Real estate in a second state can mean a second probate there, which is one reason people with out-of-state property price a living trust as well.
Updates over time
Online services charge yearly for some extras after the first year (WillMaker revisions $39.99, Trust & Will membership $49). A lawyer may bill each change.
Learn why probate has its own costs after you write a will.
The California Statutory Will's own instructions answer the question directly: a will does not avoid probate, and assets in your name alone usually go through the court process. What a will costs to write is only the first cost; the probate that follows has its own court fees and, in some states, fees set by statute as a percentage of the estate.
If you are comparing a will with a living trust, the choice turns on both numbers.
Validity depends on how the will is signed, not on what it cost. A free will that is signed and witnessed as your state requires can be as valid as an expensive one. A costly will that is not signed correctly can fail.
Usually not for validity. States like Arizona require two witnesses. A notary is needed when you make the will self-proved, which saves your executor a step later. California caps notary fees at $15 per signature.
On October 14, 2026, LegalZoom listed couple wills at $229, $249 and $399. Other services price couples separately; check each pricing page on the day you buy, since list prices change.
Online services sell extras by the year: Nolo lists an optional $39.99 to extend the revision period after the first year, and Trust & Will lists a $49 yearly membership. A lawyer may charge a flat fee or hourly for an amendment (a codicil) or a new will.
Some states accept handwritten wills. Arizona's code provides for them in section 14-2503. Rules differ by state, so check your own state's statute before relying on one.
California (Probate Code section 6240) and Michigan (MCL 700.2519) print complete forms in their statutes. Elsewhere, the state legislature or court self-help site has the rules.
In California, yes, whenever the total is reasonably expected to exceed $1,000 (Business and Professions Code section 6148). Elsewhere, asking for a written fee agreement before work starts is a reasonable request.
Some states allow it. Michigan lets you deposit a sealed will with the probate court in your county during your lifetime (MCL 700.2515); the fee is set by court rule rather than in the statute.
Information on this page reflects laws and published figures as of October 14, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice, and not a prediction for any matter. Rules and fees change; check the court or agency page linked for each figure.
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