James's Story: Building a Will Writing Income Evenings and Weekends

I work in IT — project management, decent salary, stable job. Nothing wrong with it, but I'd been thinking about diversifying income for years. Property felt too capital-intensive. Stocks were too passive. I wanted something I could build actively, on my own terms.

The Discovery:

A friend mentioned his wife had retrained as a will writer. She was earning good money working flexible hours. I'd never considered it, but the more I researched, the more it made sense:

• •Low barriers to entry (no degree required)
• •Flexible timing (could work around my job)
• •Genuine demand (everyone needs wills eventually)
• •Meaningful work (actually helping families)
• •Scalable income (the more clients, the more I earn)

Testing the Water:

The free course meant zero financial risk to explore. I completed the training over about five weeks, evenings and weekends. The content was surprisingly comprehensive — I expected superficial overview but got proper professional training.

My Plan:

Keep my day job (security, pension, benefits) while building estate planning income in evenings and weekends. If it worked, consider transitioning eventually. If not, I'd have lost nothing except time.

Eight months later, it's working better than expected. I'm earning significant additional income while keeping the security of employment. Here's what my days actually look like.

Let me walk you through how estate planning fits around a full-time job:

Monday (Regular Work Day):

• •7:30am-5:30pm: IT job (office or home depending on schedule)
• •6:30pm: Check estate planning emails, respond to enquiries
• •7:00pm: Video call with potential clients — a couple wanting wills before their holiday
• •7:45pm: Done for evening

Tuesday (Regular Work Day):

• •7:30am-5:30pm: IT job
• •6:30pm: Draft documents from Saturday's client meeting using WILLO
• •8:00pm: Evening free

Wednesday (Longer Evening Session):

• •7:30am-5:30pm: IT job
• •6:30pm: Home visit to elderly client (lives 15 mins away)
• •7:00pm-8:30pm: Consultation — mirror wills plus all LPAs for couple
• •9:00pm: Back home, quick notes

Thursday (Admin Evening):

• •7:30am-5:30pm: IT job
• •6:30pm: Send completed documents to clients for review
• •7:00pm: Follow up on outstanding signing appointments
• •7:30pm: Return call to new enquiry (referral from previous client)
• •8:00pm: Done

Friday (Day Job Only):

• •Full focus on IT work
• •No estate planning scheduled (protect some personal time)

Saturday (Client Day):

• •10:00am: Coffee and planning
• •11:00am: Home visit — widow updating will
• •1:00pm: Lunch
• •2:30pm: Video call — signing appointment for existing clients
• •3:30pm: Admin and document drafting
• •5:00pm: Weekend begins

Sunday (Rest):

• •No work scheduled (protect family time)
• •Occasionally check emails, but try to avoid

Total Weekly Hours:

Estate planning: approximately 10-12 hours

IT job: 40+ hours

Combined: approximately 50-52 hours

Sustainable? So far, yes. I'm working more hours overall, but the estate planning hours feel different — autonomous, flexible, meaningful. And they're building something of my own.

Let's talk money, because that's why most people consider side incomes:

Month-by-Month Journey:

Month 1: Training completion, no clients yet — £0

Month 2: First 2 clients, finding my feet — £600

Month 3: Building confidence, 4 clients — £1,400

Month 4: Starting to flow, 6 clients — £2,300

Month 5: Referrals beginning, 7 clients — £2,800

Month 6: Consistent, 8 clients — £3,400

Month 7: Strong month, 9 clients — £3,900

Month 8: Current pace, 8 clients — £3,500

Running Total: Approximately £18,000 in 8 months

Annual Run Rate: At current pace, approximately £28,000-35,000

Compared to My Day Job:

My IT salary is £58,000. The estate planning adds 50-60% on top of that. Combined household income has increased significantly.

Average Transaction:

My average is around £420. I offer comprehensive service — most clients take wills plus at least one type of LPA. This average is higher than practitioners who only offer basic wills.

Hourly Rate:

Roughly £35-40/hour when I calculate actual time spent (client meetings, travel, drafting, admin). Higher than I could earn doing IT overtime.

For more salary information, see the Will Writer Salary Guide.

Tax Considerations:

As a second income, this is taxed at my marginal rate (40%). I've set up as sole trader, track all expenses, and have an accountant helping with self-assessment. The tax efficiency of legitimate business expenses helps.

The Reinvestment Question:

Currently keeping the income. But if I wanted to grow faster, I could invest in marketing, software upgrades, or eventually reducing IT hours.

Here's something counter-intuitive: evenings and weekends are actually premium time for estate planning.

When Clients Are Available:

Most will writing clients are:

• •Working couples who can't take time off
• •Elderly people whose families can only accompany them outside work hours
• •People who simply prefer evening appointments

Traditional will writers working 9-5 miss this market. By offering evenings and Saturdays, I serve clients others can't.

Premium Positioning:

I can genuinely say: "I work around your schedule, including evenings and weekends." This is a selling point, not a limitation.

Less Competition:

Most professionals don't want evening work. By happily offering it, I face less competition in my local area.

Natural Fit:

Estate planning consultations typically take 60-90 minutes — perfect for an evening slot. It's not like running a shop that needs continuous presence.

Home Visits Work Better:

Visiting clients at home in evenings means they're relaxed, not rushed from work, and can think properly. The quality of consultations is often better than daytime appointments.

The Trade-Off:

Yes, I work some evenings when others are watching TV. But I find the work engaging, and building my own income feels valuable. It's not sacrifice if I enjoy it.

Learn more about will writing from home.

Balancing a full-time job with a growing side business requires systems:

Calendar Blocking:

My calendar shows IT commitments AND estate planning availability. I never double-book. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings are client slots. Saturday morning is consultation time. Everything else stays free unless specifically scheduled.

Separation of Systems:

Different email for estate planning. Different phone line (I use a second mobile). Separate workspace at home. This prevents bleed-through and keeps both roles distinct.

The IT Boundary:

My employer doesn't know about estate planning, and that's intentional. I do no estate planning work during IT hours. Zero overlap. My day job performance is unaffected — possibly improved because I'm more fulfilled overall.

Energy Management:

I know my limits. After a tough IT day, I might reschedule a client to another evening. After three client evenings in a row, I take the next two evenings completely off. Sustainable pace matters.

Family Agreement:

My wife is supportive, but we agreed boundaries: Sunday is protected, Friday evening is protected, at least two weekday evenings per week are family time. Without her buy-in, this wouldn't work.

Admin Efficiency:

I batch administrative tasks. Tuesday evening is often admin — all emails, all document drafting, all follow-ups in one session. This is more efficient than scattered tasks.

Technology Helps:

WILLO software makes document creation fast. Online scheduling reduces back-and-forth. Video calls eliminate travel time for some consultations. Every efficiency gain creates capacity.

Eight months in, here's what I love about this arrangement:

Financial Security Plus Growth:

My IT salary covers our needs. Estate planning income is entirely additional. We've increased savings, paid off credit card, and built emergency fund. The security of employment combined with the growth of self-employment is ideal.

Different Type of Work:

IT is screens, meetings, managing stakeholders, dealing with corporate politics. Estate planning is face-to-face, helping real people, making tangible difference. The variety keeps me engaged.

Building Something Mine:

In my day job, I make my employer successful. In estate planning, I'm building my own asset. The clients are mine, the reputation is mine, the growth benefits me directly.

Insurance Policy:

If my IT job disappeared tomorrow (it's tech — anything can happen), I have alternative income already running. The side business provides genuine security.

Identity Beyond Day Job:

I'm not just "James who does IT." I'm also someone who helps families protect their futures. This broader identity is surprisingly meaningful.

Potential Future Options:

In a few years, this could become my full-time work if I choose. Or it stays supplementary income indefinitely. Having options feels powerful.

Using Different Skills:

IT is analytical, process-driven, technical. Client consultations use emotional intelligence, communication, relationship building. I get to use my full skill set, not just the narrow slice my day job requires.

It's not all positive. Here's what's genuinely hard:

Fewer Free Evenings:

I used to flop on the sofa after work. Now some evenings involve client meetings or admin. Social life has adjusted. I see friends less on weeknights.

The Tiredness Factor:

Some weeks, working 50+ hours across both jobs is exhausting. I've had to manage energy carefully and be realistic about limits.

Weekend Time Trade-Off:

Saturday mornings were lazy. Now they're often productive. My wife would prefer more spontaneous weekends. We've had to discuss this openly.

Explaining to People:

"You do what?" People find the combination of IT and will writing odd. I've stopped trying to explain fully. Those who get it, get it.

Admin on Top of Admin:

After managing IT projects all day, doing estate planning admin in the evening can feel like... more admin. I've learned to break up tasks and make them feel different.

Can't Always Attend:

Midweek social events, school activities, spontaneous plans — I sometimes can't make them because I have clients booked. The calendar commitment has trade-offs.

Building Slowly:

Evenings and weekends limit how many clients I can see. Growth is slower than someone doing this full-time. That's fine for now, but sometimes I want to accelerate faster than I can.

The Sustainability Question:

Can I do this for years? Unknown. Currently it's sustainable. But I regularly assess whether the balance still works. If it doesn't, I'll adjust.

Based on my experience, here's what I'd tell someone thinking about evening/weekend estate planning:

1. Test With Free Training:

The free course lets you explore without risk. Complete it while employed. If you hate it, you've lost nothing. If you love it, you have a foundation.

2. Start Slower Than You Think:

I wanted to dive in immediately. Better to start with one client, then two, then build. Quality matters more than speed initially.

3. Discuss With Partner/Family:

Evening and weekend work affects household. Have explicit conversations about expectations, boundaries, and support. Get genuine buy-in.

4. Don't Hide From Employer:

I don't advertise my side business, but it's not prohibited in my contract. Check yours. Do nothing during work hours. Keep clear boundaries.

5. Protect Some Time:

I keep Friday evenings and Sundays completely free. Without protected time, burnout is inevitable. Choose your boundaries and keep them.

6. Use Your Day-Job Network:

Colleagues, ex-colleagues, vendors, customers — your existing professional network is a goldmine of warm prospects. My first six clients all came from people I already knew through work. That removed the hardest part: building credibility from zero. Once you've delivered for them, the referrals snowball.

7. Track Everything:

Hours worked, income earned, expenses incurred. Without data, you can't assess whether it's working. I spreadsheet everything.

8. The First Clients Are Hardest:

Finding confidence, getting initial clients, building momentum — the beginning is toughest. It gets easier as referrals start flowing and confidence builds.

9. Be Patient:

Eight months in, I'm earning significant side income. But months 1-3 were slow. Building takes time. Don't expect instant results.

10. It's Okay to Stop:

If it doesn't work, stop. The training is free, the experience is valuable, and there's no shame in deciding it's not for you. But you won't know until you try.

Common questions about building estate planning income alongside a day job.