How much does it cost to make a will in 2026? The range is staggering: from $0 with a free app to $5,000+ with a top estate attorney. Where you fall on that spectrum depends on the complexity of your estate, how much personalized legal guidance you need, and how much you value your own time.
We've researched real pricing across every major option so you can make an informed decision — without getting talked into spending more than you need to.
| Option | Cost (2026) | Time to Complete | Attorney-Reviewed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free online — Fabric by Gerber | $0 | ~10 minutes | No |
| DIY online — Trust & Will | $69 | ~30 minutes | Yes (templates) |
| Online platform — LegalZoom | $89–$129 | ~45 minutes | Yes (templates + review option) |
| Online subscription — LawDepot | $9.95/mo | ~30 minutes | No |
| Local estate attorney — simple will | $300–$1,500 | 1–3 weeks | Yes — custom drafted |
| Attorney — complex estate plan | $1,500–$5,000+ | 1–3 months | Yes — fully customized |
The single biggest factor in attorney fees is complexity. A straightforward will for a married couple with no unusual assets costs far less than an estate plan involving a business, multiple trusts, and blended family dynamics. Here's what drives costs up:
A revocable living trust costs $1,000–$3,000 to draft with an attorney, on top of the will itself. However, a properly structured trust can save your heirs far more than that in probate fees — especially in high-cost states like California, where probate fees are set by statute at 4% of the first $100,000, 3% of the next $100,000, and so on.
If you own a business — sole proprietorship, LLC, S-corp, partnership — your estate plan must address buy-sell agreements, business succession, and the transfer or sale of your ownership stake. This requires coordination between your estate attorney and often a business attorney. Budget $2,000–$5,000+ for this component alone.
Second marriages with children from prior relationships introduce competing interests that require careful legal structuring. A Qualified Terminable Interest Property (QTIP) trust, for example, can provide for a surviving spouse while ensuring your children from a prior marriage inherit afterward. These structures require experienced drafting — expect to pay $1,500–$4,000.
Federal estate tax applies to estates over $13.61 million in 2026 (the exemption is scheduled to decrease significantly in 2026 when current tax law sunsets). If your estate approaches this threshold, strategic tax planning — GRATs, SLATs, charitable trusts — requires specialized counsel. Costs are highly variable but typically $5,000–$25,000+.
Attorney rates vary dramatically by location. A Manhattan estate attorney charges $400–$600/hour. A solo practitioner in rural Iowa charges $150–$250/hour. Even flat-fee will packages vary: $800 in New York City vs $300 in Kansas City for comparable services.
Trust & Will's $69 Individual Will Plan is the most popular paid online option in 2026. Here's exactly what's included — and what's not:
For $149, Trust & Will adds a complete revocable living trust, pour-over will, certificate of trust, and trust funding instructions. This is the product to consider if your estate is over $150,000 and you want to avoid probate. A living trust from an attorney would typically cost $1,500–$3,000 — Trust & Will delivers a comparable template-based product for 90% less.
When people say "just get an attorney will," they often assume that means a comprehensive, custom-crafted document that covers every scenario. That's not always what a flat-fee basic will from a local attorney delivers.
At the $300–$500 price point, an attorney is often using a template system not unlike what Trust & Will and LegalZoom use — customized to your name and specifics, but template-based nonetheless. The key value-add is the attorney's professional judgment: they can spot issues you might not think to ask about and give you personalized advice.
💡 Key insight: For genuinely simple estates — one spouse, standard assets, two beneficiaries — a $69 Trust & Will plan and a $400 attorney will produce documents with nearly identical legal effect. The attorney's value is in their advice, not the document template.
Online will makers are excellent for the majority of Americans. But there are situations where cutting corners on legal advice creates risks that far outweigh the cost savings:
While the 2026 federal estate tax exemption is approximately $13.61 million per person, that threshold may drop significantly after 2025 tax law changes. Even at current exemptions, estates approaching this level benefit from proactive tax planning — charitable trusts, family limited partnerships, irrevocable life insurance trusts — that no online template can deliver.
If you own a business, your estate plan must address what happens to your ownership stake when you die. A poorly structured transition can trigger forced sales, tax events, or family conflict. Buy-sell agreements must be coordinated with your will. Only an attorney can handle this properly.
Leaving assets directly to a beneficiary with disabilities can disqualify them from SSI, Medicaid, and other government benefits — benefits that are worth far more than any inheritance. A special needs trust preserves both. This is not a DIY situation, period.
If you have estranged relatives who might challenge your will, children from multiple relationships, or wishes that don't follow the expected family pattern, professional drafting with specific no-contest clauses and documentation of testamentary capacity significantly reduces litigation risk.
Real property passes through probate in the state where it's located. If you own property in multiple states, you face multiple probate proceedings without a trust. An attorney can structure a pour-over will and living trust to address this efficiently.
The following situations are ideal for online will makers — and represent the majority of American households:
✅ Stat to know: More than 60% of American adults have no will at all. For most of them, a free Fabric will or a $69 Trust & Will plan would provide far better protection than the zero-document status quo — today, in under an hour.
When evaluating will costs, most people focus on the upfront cost of creating the document. The bigger financial decision is whether your estate plan includes a living trust — which can save your heirs thousands to tens of thousands in probate costs.
Probate fees vary by state, but they're universally non-trivial:
| State | Probate Fee Structure | Cost on $400,000 Estate |
|---|---|---|
| California | Statutory: 4% of first $100K, 3% next $100K, 2% next $800K | ~$13,000–$26,000+ |
| New York | 2–5% of estate value (sliding scale) | ~$10,000–$20,000 |
| Florida | 3% of first $1M (attorney fees) | ~$12,000 |
| Texas | Probate-friendly; simplified process | ~$2,000–$5,000 |
| Illinois | Reasonable compensation standard | ~$4,000–$10,000 |
A revocable living trust bypasses probate entirely. Trust & Will's $149 Trust Plan could save a California family $13,000–$26,000 in probate fees alone. That's not a "nice to have" — it's a financial decision worth taking seriously.
Beyond fees, probate takes 6–18 months in most states and is a public process — meaning anyone can look up your assets and beneficiaries. A trust is private and immediate. Your family gets access to assets in days, not months.
Online will services charge the same price regardless of your state. Attorney fees, however, vary significantly by region:
Whatever your state, if your situation is straightforward, online services eliminate geographic pricing entirely. A $69 Trust & Will plan is identical whether you're in Manhattan or rural Mississippi.
Here's how we'd approach the "how much should I spend?" question in 2026:
Fabric is $0 and takes 10 minutes. Trust & Will is $69 and covers everything most Americans need. Either way, stop waiting.
Get Free Will with Fabric → Trust & Will — $69 →