One of the most common questions people have about estate planning is how much it costs. The honest answer: it depends on what you need, how complex your situation is, and whether you use an online service or an attorney.
Here are realistic price ranges based on publicly available data from legal service providers and bar associations.
Basic Will
DIY / Online service: $0 to $300. Services like LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and FreeWill offer guided will creation. Free options exist but may be limited in scope.
Attorney: $300 to $1,000 for a simple will. Varies significantly by region and attorney [1][2].
A basic will covers asset distribution, executor naming, and guardian nomination for minor children. For many people in straightforward situations, this is all they need.
Will + Power of Attorney + Advance Directive
Online service: $150 to $500 for a package that includes all three documents.
Attorney: $500 to $2,000. Many estate planning attorneys offer this as a standard package because these three documents work together [2][3].
This is the most common package for married couples, parents, and homeowners. It covers who gets your assets, who makes decisions if you're incapacitated, and what medical care you want.
Revocable Living Trust
Online service: $300 to $700. These services can produce the trust document, but you'll still need to "fund" the trust (retitle assets into it) yourself.
Attorney: $1,500 to $3,000+ for a complete trust-based plan. This typically includes the trust, a pour-over will, power of attorney, advance directive, and help with funding [2][4].
A trust makes sense when you have substantial assets, own property in multiple states, or want to avoid probate. The higher cost reflects the additional complexity and the ongoing maintenance a trust requires.
Complex Estate Plan
Attorney: $3,000 to $7,000+. This level of planning typically involves business succession, irrevocable trusts, special needs planning, blended family considerations, or tax strategies [2].
If your situation involves multiple complexity factors, the cost reflects the attorney time and expertise required to get it right. At this level, DIY is generally not advisable.
Individual Documents
Power of attorney: $100 to $500 through an attorney [3].
Healthcare advance directive: Often free. Most states provide standardized forms through their department of health or bar association [5].
Beneficiary designation review: Free. Log into your retirement accounts and insurance policies to check and update your named beneficiaries [6].
How to Keep Costs Down
Know what you need before you start. If your situation is straightforward (no business, no blended family, modest assets), an online service may be perfectly adequate for a basic will and supporting documents.
If you decide to use an attorney, many offer free or low-cost initial consultations. Come prepared with a list of your assets, your family structure, and the decisions you've already made. The more organized you are, the less attorney time (and cost) you'll need.
Some state and local bar associations offer reduced-fee estate planning clinics and referral programs [7].
The Cost of Doing Nothing
The cheapest option in the short term is doing nothing. The long-term cost can be significant. Without a will, your estate goes through intestate succession, where a court distributes your assets according to state law rather than your wishes [8]. Probate costs alone can run 2% to 7% of the estate's value [9].
For a $400,000 estate (a modest home and retirement savings), that's $8,000 to $28,000 in potential probate fees, court costs, and legal expenses that a $300 will could have minimized or avoided.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Take our free assessment to find out what you likely need. It takes five minutes and helps you walk into any conversation, whether with an online service or an attorney, knowing what to ask for.
Related Reading
DIY vs. Attorney: when an online service is enough and when to hire a professional.
Will vs. Trust: understand the difference before you budget for one or the other.
Will vs. Trust: Side-by-Side Comparison for a quick reference.
What Is Probate?: the process that a trust helps you avoid, and what it costs.