How much does a will cost in QLD? (2026 guide)

TLDR: Empire Legal drafts fixed-fee wills in Queensland from $660 for a single will and $1,000 for a couple, with the price agreed before we start. Across the market a will runs from a $20 DIY kit to a few thousand dollars, and the cheapest option is rarely the best value – a badly written will can cost your family far more to untangle. Call 07 3088 7675 or book in online.

So, how much does a will cost in QLD? It’s the first thing most people want to know, and the honest answer is “it depends” – on who writes it, how complicated your assets are, and whether you want certainty or a cheap punt.

Let’s break it down properly, no fluff.

How much does a will cost in QLD in 2026?

Here’s what you’re looking at across the board:

• DIY will kit – roughly $20 to $80. Cheap and fast, fine for very simple situations, and easy to get wrong.
• Online will builder – around $100 to $300. A bit more guidance, but you’re still doing the thinking.
• Lawyer charging hourly – varies a lot, and you often don’t know the total until the bill lands.
• Lawyer, fixed-fee – one price agreed up front. At Empire Legal, fixed-fee wills start from $660, or $1,000 for a couple’s will done together in one appointment.

What does it cost to make a will with a solicitor in Brisbane?

A will drafted by a solicitor in Brisbane usually starts a few hundred dollars above a DIY kit and climbs from there once trusts, blended families or business interests are involved. The catch with hourly billing is that nobody commits to a number before the work starts. Empire Legal quotes the solicitor fee up front and does not move it: $660 for a single will, $1,000 for a couple’s will done in one appointment, and $550 for a power of attorney – all inc GST, for clients across Brisbane, the Bayside and the Gold Coast.

Why a cheap will can cost your family more

A $30 kit feels like a win right up until something goes wrong. One unclear clause, a missed signature, or super that wasn’t dealt with properly can land your family in a dispute that costs tens of thousands to sort out – and that’s before the stress and the strained relationships. When people ask our wills lawyers how much a will costs, the real question is usually “how much will a bad one cost?” The answer is: a lot more. And the priciest option of the lot? Having no will at all.

What’s included in a fixed-fee will

When you pay a fixed fee, you should know exactly what you’re getting. With our wills and estates lawyers that means a proper chat about your situation, a will drafted to suit it, a review to make sure it says what you actually want, and help signing and witnessing it correctly so it’s valid. No hourly clock ticking in the background, no nasty surprise at the end.

What makes a will cost more?

A simple will for one person is the cheap end of the scale. The price climbs when your situation has more moving parts. The usual things that push the cost of a will up:

• Setting up a testamentary trust to protect assets or provide for kids over time.
• Blended families, second marriages, or someone you need to carefully provide for (or leave out).
• Business interests, companies, or family trusts that need to be woven in.
• Assets or beneficiaries overseas.
• A real risk the will could be contested, which means extra care in how it’s drafted.

The good news? Our wills and estates lawyers quote you a fixed fee up front once we understand your situation, so the price is locked in before any work starts.

A will vs a full estate plan

A will covers who gets what after you pass away. But it’s often just one piece of the puzzle. Depending on your situation you might also want an enduring power of attorney (so someone can manage your affairs if you can’t), an advance health directive (your medical wishes in writing), and a binding death benefit nomination for your super. A good wills lawyer tells you what you genuinely need – not what pads the invoice.

How long does it take to make a will in Queensland?

Most simple wills are drafted, reviewed and signed within one to two weeks. If your situation is more involved, we’ll give you a realistic timeline and a fixed price up front, so there are no moving goalposts.

Is a cheap will actually worth the money?

Cheap isn’t the same as good value. A fixed-fee will gives you a clear price and a document that actually holds up – which is the whole point. If you’d like a quote, talk to our wills and estates lawyers in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, or read our guide on whether you need a lawyer to make a will. Our office is open 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Can I get a free will in Queensland?

Yes, and almost nobody mentions it. The Queensland Public Trustee prepares wills free of charge for every Queenslander as a community service, and stores the original for free as well. You do not have to appoint them as your executor to use it.

So why does anyone pay for a will?

Because the price of the document is not the price of the outcome. A free will is a standard-form document written for a standard-form life. If yours genuinely is simple – one relationship, no business, no blended family, everything in Australia, beneficiaries who get along – it may be all you need, and any honest lawyer will tell you so.

The trouble starts when a template meets a situation it was not built for. Second marriages, a company or family trust, a child who needs protecting from their own creditors or a divorce, property overseas. A form cannot think about any of that. It records what you tick.

And here is the number most people never look at: what your estate pays afterwards. The Public Trustee’s published grant of probate service is $3,344, and a grant of administration is $3,927. Full estate administration is charged on a fee-for-service basis, so the total depends on the estate. Saving a few hundred dollars today is a false economy if the will that comes out of it is ambiguous, out of date, or easy to challenge.

So what should a will actually cost?

As a rule of thumb in Queensland:

• $0 – Public Trustee, standard form, straightforward situations.
• $20 to $300 – DIY kit or online builder. You are the one carrying the risk.
• From $660 – a fixed-fee will drafted by a solicitor who has actually asked about your situation.
• $1,500 and up – testamentary trusts, blended families, business interests, assets overseas.

If a firm will not give you a price before it starts work, that tells you what the answer is going to be. A fixed fee means the number you are quoted is the number you pay.

When a cheap will gets expensive: three patterns we see

• The will that ignores how the house is held. If you own your home as joint tenants, it passes automatically to the other owner on death – your will does not touch it. Plenty of DIY wills confidently leave a house to someone who was never going to receive it.
• The will made before a second marriage. In Queensland, marriage revokes an existing will unless it was made in contemplation of that marriage. People remarry, never update the will, and die intestate without knowing it.
• The executor who cannot act. Naming one executor who has since died, moved overseas or fallen out with the family turns a simple estate into a court application.

None of these are exotic. They are the ordinary consequences of a document that was filled in rather than drafted.

What does an enduring power of attorney cost in QLD?

Most people making a will should be making an enduring power of attorney at the same time. It covers what happens if you lose capacity while you are still alive, which a will does nothing about.

For comparison, the Queensland Public Trustee charges $216.25 for an individual enduring power of attorney and $329.35 for a couple, effective 1 July 2026. Done alongside your will with a solicitor it is usually a small addition rather than a separate job.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the cheapest way to make a will in QLD?
Free, through the Queensland Public Trustee. A DIY kit is the cheapest paid option and carries the most risk. A fixed-fee lawyer-drafted will gives you certainty for a set price – from $660 at Empire Legal.

Do couples pay twice?
Often couples need a will each. We’ll quote you a clear price for both up front, so there are no surprises.

Is the cost of a will tax deductible?
Generally no, a personal will isn’t tax deductible. Have a chat with your accountant about your specific situation.

What if I need to update it later?
You can update your will whenever your circumstances change. It’s worth reviewing after marriage, divorce, kids, or buying property.

How much does a will cost in Australia?
It varies by state and by who drafts it. In Queensland you can pay nothing through the Public Trustee, $20 to $300 for a DIY kit or online builder, or a fixed fee from $660 for a solicitor-drafted will. Hourly-rate firms are the hardest to compare, because the price is not settled until the work is done.

Can I write my own will in Queensland?
You can. It has to be in writing and signed by you in front of two witnesses, who each sign as well. Those witnesses should not be beneficiaries – a gift to a witness can fail. Getting any of that wrong, or wording a gift ambiguously, is what turns a $20 saving into a court application for your family.