Do You Need Qualifications to Write Wills in the UK?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions by people considering a career in estate planning, and the answer surprises almost everyone. No, you do not need any formal qualifications or accreditation to write wills in the UK. Will writing is not a reserved legal activity, which means anyone can legally offer will writing services to the public.

That said, the reality is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. While no qualifications are legally required, there are voluntary professional bodies you can join, training you should undertake, and practical considerations around software and insurance that will affect how you set up your business. This article breaks it all down.

The Legal Position: Will Writing Is Not a Reserved Legal Activity

Under the Legal Services Act 2007, certain legal activities are "reserved" — meaning only authorised persons (typically solicitors or barristers) can carry them out. These reserved activities include:

• Exercising a right of audience in court
• Conducting litigation
• Administering oaths
• Probate activities
• Notarial activities
• Reserved instrument activities (certain property transactions)

Will writing is conspicuously absent from this list. Despite several attempts over the years to make it a reserved activity, it has remained unregulated. The Legal Services Board reviewed the matter in 2013 and recommended that will writing should be regulated, but the government chose not to act on this recommendation. As of 2026, the position remains unchanged.

Will writing is not a reserved legal activity under the Legal Services Act 2007. This means that any person can legally draft wills for members of the public, regardless of their qualifications or professional memberships.

This does not mean that will writing is a free-for-all. Will writers are still subject to consumer protection law, data protection regulations (GDPR), and can be held liable if they draft a negligent will that causes financial loss. Professional indemnity insurance is therefore essential, even though it is not legally mandated.

Voluntary Professional Bodies

Although no accreditation is required, several voluntary professional bodies exist that will writers can join. Each has its own membership requirements, costs, and benefits. Here is an overview of the main ones.

The Society of Will Writers (SWW)

The SWW is the largest professional body for will writers in the UK. Membership involves completing their training course and passing an examination. Members must carry professional indemnity insurance and comply with a code of practice.

• Training cost: Approximately £1,500-2,500 for the initial course
• Annual membership: Approximately £500-700 per year
• Requirements: Pass the SWW examination, maintain PII cover, comply with the code of practice
• Benefits: Use of the SWW logo on marketing materials, listing on the SWW directory, access to member resources and CPD events

The Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW)

The IPW is another prominent professional body. It operates a code of practice approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and requires members to meet certain training and competence standards.

• Training cost: Varies depending on the training provider used
• Annual membership: Approximately £400-600 per year
• Requirements: Evidence of competence, PII cover, compliance with the IPW code of practice
• Benefits: CTSI-approved code of practice, client complaints handling through an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme, directory listing

STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners)

STEP is an international professional body for practitioners in the trusts and estates field. It is more prestigious and expensive than the SWW or IPW, and its qualifications are more comprehensive, covering trusts, taxation, and estate administration in addition to will writing.

• Training cost: £3,000-5,000+ for the STEP Diploma
• Annual membership: Approximately £400-600 per year
• Requirements: Pass the relevant STEP examinations, ongoing CPD requirements
• Benefits: Internationally recognised qualification (TEP designation), access to a global network of estate practitioners, extensive CPD resources

The Cost of Accreditation: Is It Worth It?

When you add up the training costs, examination fees, and annual membership subscriptions, joining a professional body can easily cost £2,000-3,000 in the first year and £500-700 annually thereafter. For a new will writer just starting out, this represents a significant investment before you have earned a single penny.

The question every aspiring will writer needs to ask is: does the membership justify the cost? The answer depends on your circumstances and goals.

The Case for Membership

• Credibility: Membership of a recognised body can reassure clients that you have met certain professional standards.
• Complaints handling: Bodies like the IPW provide access to ADR schemes, which can protect you in the event of a client complaint.
• CPD and networking: Professional bodies offer continuing professional development events and networking opportunities.
• Marketing: You can use the body's logo on your website and marketing materials, which some clients may recognise and value.

The Case Against Membership

• High cost barrier to entry: Thousands of pounds in fees before you have written your first will creates a significant financial barrier for new entrants.
• Low public awareness: The honest truth is that very few members of the public have heard of the SWW, IPW, or STEP. Clients choose a will writer based on recommendations, reviews, and trust, not based on which professional body they belong to.
• No legal requirement: Membership is entirely voluntary. You can offer a perfectly competent, professional will writing service without belonging to any body.
• Software restrictions: Some will writing software providers, such as WillSuite, require users to hold membership of an approved professional body before they can access the software. This creates an additional gatekeeping barrier for new will writers. Willo does not have this requirement.
• Annual ongoing costs: The membership fees are not a one-off investment. You pay every year, regardless of how many wills you write.

The most important qualifications for a will writer are competence, good training, professional indemnity insurance, and reliable software. Professional body membership is a nice-to-have, not a must-have.

Software That Requires Accreditation vs. Software That Does Not

This is a practical consideration that catches many new will writers off guard. Not all will writing software is accessible to everyone. Some providers restrict access based on professional body membership.

WillSuite, for example, requires users to be members of an approved professional body such as the SWW or IPW before they can use the software. This means that even if you have completed independent training and are perfectly competent, you cannot access the software without paying for professional body membership first. It adds a significant cost barrier on top of the software subscription itself.

Willo, built by Project Will, takes a different approach. There is no accreditation requirement. You can sign up, start using the software, and begin writing wills immediately for £150/month. There are no contracts, so if the business is not for you, you can cancel at any time without penalty.

This accessibility is particularly important for people who are just starting out. When you are building a new business, every pound counts, and being forced to spend thousands on professional body membership before you can even access your software is a significant and unnecessary barrier.

Training Alternatives: Getting Qualified Without the High Costs

Just because accreditation is not required does not mean you should skip training altogether. Writing a will carries genuine responsibility — a badly drafted will can cause enormous problems for the people it was supposed to protect. Proper training is essential.

The good news is that quality training does not have to cost thousands of pounds. Here are some alternatives to the expensive professional body routes:

Project Will Free Training

Project Will has been supporting the estate planning industry since 2009 and offers training resources for will writers. This is an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to learn the fundamentals without committing thousands of pounds upfront.

Become an Estate Planner

Become an Estate Planner provides comprehensive training that covers wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, trusts, and the business side of running an estate planning practice. It is designed specifically for people who want to enter the industry and build a successful career.

Self-Study and Mentorship

Many successful will writers have learned through a combination of self-study (using textbooks, online resources, and practice) and mentorship from experienced practitioners. If you can find an established will writer willing to mentor you, this is an invaluable way to learn the practical realities of the job.

CPD Courses and Workshops

Once you are up and running, continuing professional development is important regardless of whether you belong to a professional body. Various organisations offer individual CPD courses on specific topics such as inheritance tax planning, trust drafting, and estate administration. These typically cost £50-200 per course and allow you to deepen your expertise in areas that matter to your clients.

How to Get Started Without Expensive Memberships

Here is a practical, step-by-step roadmap for someone who wants to start writing wills without spending thousands on professional body memberships:

1. Get trained: Complete a will writing training programme through Become an Estate Planner or equivalent. Focus on understanding the law of succession, the requirements for a valid will under the Wills Act 1837, and common estate planning structures.
2. Arrange professional indemnity insurance: This is not legally required but is essential. Several insurers offer PII for will writers, typically costing £300-600 per year depending on cover levels.
3. Sign up for Willo: At £150/month with no contracts and no accreditation requirements, Willo is the most accessible professional will writing software on the market. It provides everything you need to draft wills, LPAs, and other estate planning documents.
4. Register your business: Set up as a sole trader or limited company, register with HMRC, and comply with GDPR requirements for handling client data.
5. Start finding clients: Use the Willo lead marketplace to access will writing leads at £5 each, and begin building your marketing presence. Our guide to marketing ideas for estate planners has 15 proven strategies to help you grow.
6. Build your reputation: Deliver excellent service, collect reviews and testimonials, and grow through word of mouth and referrals.

For a more detailed walkthrough of the entire process, read our comprehensive guide on how to become a will writer.

Should You Join a Professional Body Later?

Once your business is established and generating consistent revenue, joining a professional body can be a worthwhile investment. At that point, you can afford the annual fees, and the credibility and networking benefits may help you grow further.

Many successful estate planners follow this path: they start without membership, build their skills and client base, and then join a professional body once they are established and can clearly see the return on investment. There is no rule that says you have to join before you start — and for most people, it makes better financial sense to start earning first.

The Bottom Line

You do not need qualifications to write wills in the UK. Will writing is not a reserved legal activity, and no professional body membership is required. What you do need is proper training, professional indemnity insurance, reliable software, and a commitment to providing an excellent service to your clients.

The industry has traditionally been gatekept by expensive training courses, mandatory memberships, and software restrictions. Willo and Project Will are changing that by making it possible for competent, well-trained individuals to enter the profession without spending thousands before they write their first will.

If you are considering a career in estate planning, do not let the cost of accreditation put you off. Get trained, get insured, get the right software, and start building your business. The clients are out there — they need your help, and they do not ask which professional body you belong to. They ask whether you can write them a good will.