The Honest Truth About "Free" Estate Planning Training
I get asked this question a lot: "Can I learn estate planning for free?"
The answer is technically yes—you can find free resources online. But can you learn enough to competently serve paying clients? No.
Here's what "free estate planning training" actually means in practice:
What You Can Find for Free
- YouTube videos – Overviews of wills, trusts, LPAs (good for general knowledge, not professional training)
- Government guidance – GOV.UK has info on LPAs, probate, intestacy (accurate but not comprehensive)
- Legal blogs and articles – Solicitors' websites explaining estate planning concepts (marketing content, not training)
- Free webinars – Usually sales pitches for paid courses with 30 minutes of basic info
- Professional body resources – IPW (Institute of Professional Willwriters) has some free guides for members, but you still need membership
What You CAN'T Find for Free
- Comprehensive curriculum – Structured learning covering all aspects of estate planning
- Software training – Willo, Octopus, and other professional tools cost £30-100/month (not free)
- Document templates – Legally sound engagement letters, questionnaires, precedents
- Practical exercises – Real client scenarios to practice on
- Feedback on your work – Someone checking you're doing it correctly
- Professional indemnity insurance access – You need training credentials to get insured
- Ongoing support – Help when you encounter tricky situations
- Marketing guidance – How to actually get clients
The bottom line: Free resources can teach you about estate planning. They can't teach you to do estate planning professionally.
Real Talk:
Would you trust a doctor who learned medicine from YouTube? Or a solicitor who trained on free blog posts? Clients are entrusting you with protecting their family's future. "I learned this for free online" doesn't inspire confidence—and more importantly, it won't make you competent.
The Problem with Cheap Training (£200-500)
If free training doesn't exist, what about cheap training?
There are courses in the £200-500 range. Here's what they typically include—and what they don't:
| What You Need | Cheap Course (£200-500) | Comprehensive Course (£800-1,500) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Knowledge | Basic (often outdated) | Comprehensive & current |
| Software Training | Not included | Included + free software months |
| Document Templates | Basic (generic) | Professional & customizable |
| Practical Exercises | Minimal or none | Multiple scenarios + feedback |
| Ongoing Support | None after course ends | Monthly groups, Q&A, email support |
| Marketing Training | Not included | Full marketing module |
| Business Setup Guidance | Minimal | Insurance, compliance, pricing, systems |
| Client Scenario Practice | Little to none | Role-play, real examples, feedback |
| Updates & Changes | No updates | Updated materials when laws change |
The Hidden Costs of Cheap Training
Here's what happens when you choose a £300 course to save money:
Cheap Course: £300
- Course fee: £300
- Software subscription (not included): £50/month × 12 months = £600
- Professional templates (not included): £200
- Follow-up training because you're still confused: £400
- Lost income from not knowing how to market (months 1-6): £3,000+
Real Total Cost: £4,500+
Comprehensive Course: £995
- Course fee: £995
- Software included: 2 months free (£100 value)
- Templates included: (£200 value)
- Marketing training included: Get clients weeks 3-6
- Ongoing support: No additional cost
Real Total Cost: £995
The "cheap" course actually costs £3,500 more when you account for what's missing and the delays in getting your business running.
What Good Paid Training Actually Includes
So if free doesn't work and cheap is a false economy, what should you expect from comprehensive paid training?
Here's what £800-1,500 should get you:
1. Complete Legal Education
- Wills law (validity requirements, common clauses, different will types)
- Trusts (property protection, life interest, discretionary trusts)
- Lasting Powers of Attorney (both types, execution, registration)
- Inheritance tax basics (nil-rate bands, exemptions, 7-year rule)
- Probate overview (executor duties, when probate is needed)
- Capacity and undue influence (recognizing problems, protecting vulnerable clients)
2. Professional Software Training
- Complete training on Willo or equivalent professional software
- How to draft wills, trusts, and LPAs using the software
- Quality checking and error prevention
- Client management features
- 2-3 months free software so you can practice and take first clients without additional cost
3. Practical Client Scenarios
- Multiple practice scenarios (simple couples, blended families, business owners, etc.)
- Drafting real documents for fictional clients
- Feedback on your work
- Role-playing client consultations
- Handling difficult conversations (death, family conflict, capacity concerns)
4. Business Setup Support
- How to set up as self-employed (sole trader vs limited company)
- Getting professional indemnity insurance (where, how much, what coverage)
- Compliance requirements (GDPR, money laundering, record-keeping)
- Pricing your services (what to charge, how to present fees)
- Admin systems (invoicing, client files, scheduling)
5. Marketing & Client Acquisition
- Strategies for getting your first 5 clients (friends, family, referrals)
- Building a referral network (financial advisors, accountants, funeral directors)
- Local SEO and Google My Business setup
- Website essentials (what you need, what you don't)
- Networking events and community outreach
- Converting enquiries to paying clients
6. Ongoing Support
- Monthly support groups where you can ask questions about real client situations
- Email or message support when you're stuck
- Community forum with other students
- Updated materials when laws or best practices change
- Access to trainer for complex scenarios
7. Professional Materials
- Client questionnaires and consultation checklists
- Engagement letter templates
- Fee schedules and pricing guides
- Email templates for client communication
- Marketing materials (brochures, website copy examples)
This is what £995 should buy you. If any of these 7 components is missing, you're not getting comprehensive training.
Why Some Courses Are £3,000+
You'll also find estate planning courses that cost £2,500-5,000. Are they worth it?
Honestly? Usually not.
Higher prices often reflect:
- In-person delivery – Venue costs, travel, accommodation get built into the price
- Brand premium – Established providers charging more because they can
- Sales and marketing costs – Heavy advertising budgets passed to students
- Unnecessary extras – Physical binders, fancy certificates, things that don't improve outcomes
A £3,500 in-person course doesn't teach you more than a £995 online course—you're paying for the delivery method and overhead, not better content.
Our Pricing Philosophy:
We charge £995 because that's what the training actually costs to deliver well—comprehensive curriculum, software, ongoing support, marketing guidance. We could charge £2,500 and run it in a hotel conference room, but that wouldn't make you a better estate planner. It would just cost you more money.
How to Evaluate Training Value (Not Just Price)
Price alone doesn't tell you if training is worth it. Here's how to evaluate true value:
Calculate Cost Per Essential Component
Take the price and divide by how many of the 7 essential components it includes (legal education, software, practice scenarios, business setup, marketing, ongoing support, professional materials).
Example Comparison:
Course A: £300
Includes: Legal education, basic templates (2/7 components)
Cost per component: £150
Course B: £995
Includes: All 7 components
Cost per component: £142
Course B is cheaper per component and you get everything you need. Course A is a false economy.
Factor in Time to First Client
Comprehensive training with marketing guidance gets you paying clients in weeks 3-6.
Cheap training without marketing support? You might spend 6+ months figuring out how to get clients.
If you lose even 3 months of potential income (say, £1,500/month part-time), that's £4,500—far more than the price difference between cheap and good training.
Consider Ongoing Support Value
When you encounter your first complex client situation (and you will), what happens?
- No support: You panic, possibly give wrong advice, risk complaints
- Pay-per-question support: £50-150 per consultation with a solicitor
- Included support: Ask your trainer, get help for free
Monthly support groups alone are worth £50-100/month if you value access to expert guidance.
Common Questions About Training Costs
Can I really not learn estate planning for free?
You can learn about it for free. You cannot become competent enough to charge clients without proper training. Would you pay someone who learned brain surgery from YouTube? Clients are entrusting you with their family's future—"free" isn't professional.
What if I can't afford £1,000 for training right now?
Understandable. But consider: your first 3-5 clients will generate £1,500-2,500, paying back the training cost immediately. Many students cover their training investment within their first month of practice. It's not an expense—it's an investment that pays for itself quickly.
Why is software not included in cheaper courses?
Because software costs the training provider money. Cheap courses cut costs by excluding it, then you pay £50/month out of pocket. It's short-term thinking—they save £100, you spend £600/year. Comprehensive courses include software because it's essential, not optional.
Do expensive courses (£3,000+) produce better estate planners?
No evidence of that. Success depends on curriculum quality, practical training, and ongoing support—not price. A £3,000 in-person course might feel more "official," but it doesn't make you more competent than well-designed £995 online training.
Is there payment plan option for courses?
Many providers offer payment plans (we don't currently, but it's common). Typical is 3-6 monthly payments. Just check: does the payment plan increase the total cost? If so, factor that into your comparison.
Can I just buy software and templates separately?
You can buy software (£50/month) and find templates (£200-500), but you won't have the legal knowledge to use them correctly. Templates without understanding are dangerous—you might create invalid wills or give wrong advice. Training isn't just about materials; it's about competence.
What if I take cheap training first to "test the waters"?
You'll waste £300-500 on incomplete training, realize it's not enough, then pay £995+ for proper training anyway. Total cost: £1,300-1,500. Better to invest properly once than pay twice. If you're not sure about estate planning as a career, read more guides and talk to trainers—don't waste money on inadequate courses.
Comprehensive Estate Planning Training for £995
All 7 essential components: legal education, software (2 months free), practical scenarios, business setup, marketing, ongoing support, and professional materials.
First 3-5 clients typically generate £1,500-2,500—paying back your investment immediately.
View Full Course DetailsThe Bottom Line on Free vs Paid Training
Here's the honest summary:
Free Training (£0):
- Good for: Learning about estate planning before committing
- Not good for: Actually becoming an estate planner
- Real cost: Thousands in lost income if you try to build a business on free resources
Cheap Training (£200-500):
- Good for: Basic legal knowledge (if that's all you want)
- Not good for: Running a professional estate planning business
- Real cost: £4,000+ when you add missing software, templates, support, and delayed income
Comprehensive Training (£800-1,500):
- Good for: Building a real, sustainable estate planning business
- Includes: All 7 essential components (legal, software, practice, business, marketing, support, materials)
- Real cost: £995 total, pays for itself with first 3-5 clients
Premium Training (£2,500-5,000):
- Good for: People who strongly prefer in-person learning and have budget to match
- Not necessarily better: Same content as good online courses, just more expensive delivery
- Real cost: £2,500-5,000 + travel + time off work
The sweet spot for most people is comprehensive training in the £800-1,500 range. It includes everything you need without unnecessary premium costs.
Free and cheap options feel appealing, but they're false economies. You'll either fail to build a real business or spend more money later filling the gaps.
Premium pricing doesn't make you more competent—it just makes training providers more profitable.
Invest properly once. Get comprehensive training. Build a real business.
Want to know more? Read our guide on what estate planning training should cover or compare online vs in-person training options.