Will Writing Qualifications UK
The honest guide to what you actually need to start writing wills professionally. Spoiler: it's not a law degree, and you don't need to spend thousands before you know if this career is right for you.
Start with our free course. Get our free accreditation. Prove the career works for you. Then decide what comes next.
The Truth About Will Writing Qualifications
Let's cut through the noise. Here's what you actually need to know:
Will writing is NOT a reserved legal activity
Under the Legal Services Act 2007, will writing is not classified as a reserved legal activity in the UK. This means you do not need a law degree, solicitor qualification, or any specific academic credentials to write wills professionally. What you need is proper training and professional indemnity insurance.
What you DON'T need
- ✕A law degree or legal qualification
- ✕Solicitor or barrister status
- ✕Specific A-levels or university education
- ✕Expensive upfront memberships to start
What you DO need
- Proper training — our free course covers this
- Professional indemnity insurance — we help you get this
- A certificate of training — you get ours free on completion
- Professional software — WILLO from just £75/month
Why Start Free Before Paying for Memberships?
There are several professional bodies for will writers. They have value. But here's what nobody tells you:
Your clients don't know who IPW or SWW are
Let's be honest. The Institute of Professional Willwriters and the Society of Will Writers have industry recognition among professionals — but the average person looking for a will writer has never heard of either. When a client chooses you, they're choosing you — your professionalism, your manner, your ability to explain things clearly, and the fact that you're properly trained and insured. A logo on your website from a body they've never heard of isn't what closes the deal.
Why pay £300-500/year before you even know if it's for you?
Other training providers charge you £500-2,000 for a course, then tell you to pay another £300-500/year for professional body membership — all before you've seen a single client. That's potentially over £2,000 spent before you even know if you enjoy the work. What if it's not right for you? That money's gone.
Our approach: prove it works first, then invest
Do our free course. Get our free certificate. Start seeing clients. Prove to yourself that this career works for you, that you enjoy the work, and that you can earn good money doing it. Then, once you're established and earning, add professional body membership if you want the extra credibility. It's the low-risk, smart way to start.
What You Get — Completely Free
Everything you need to start practising professionally, without spending a penny:
Professional Training
8 modules covering wills, LPAs, trusts, client consultations, and document drafting. The same knowledge areas required by IPW and SWW — without the price tag.
Certificate of Completion
Our accreditation certificate proves you've completed comprehensive professional training. You can show this to clients and use it on your website and marketing materials.
Insurance Guidance
We walk you through getting professional indemnity insurance (around £300-600/year). This is the one thing you genuinely need before seeing clients — and it protects both you and them.
WILLO Professional Software
Access WILLO for just £75 for your first month, then £150/month — the same professional software used by established estate planners to draft wills, LPAs, and trusts. No fumbling with Word templates.
1-to-1 Mentoring
Support from experienced estate planners as you learn. Ask questions, get feedback on your work, and build confidence before you see your first client.
Career Pathway Options
After completing the course, set up as a sole trader, subscribe to WILLO (£150/month), and keep 100% of your fees. The paid coached programme is available if you want structured help on pricing, sales, and marketing.
No payment. No credit card. Instant access.
The BCEP Designation — Become a Certified Estate Planner
Pass our coached programme and you're awarded BCEP — Become a Certified Estate Planner. It's not a certificate of attendance: it's assessed, and students who don't meet the standard are marked "needs more work" and reassessed until they do.
Assessed live, not ticked off
Six live role-play assessments with a working estate planner: taking a will instruction, a complex blended-family instruction, presenting documents back to the client, LPA and trust consultations, and a full final presentation.
Real documents, reviewed
The wills and LPAs you draft during the programme are reviewed by working estate planners — you prove you can hold an instruction meeting and turn it into accurate legal documents.
Treating customers fairly
Your client process is signed off stage by stage — clear explanations, honest pricing, and advice that puts the client first. That's what the letters tell your clients about you.
On your email signature
Kind regards,
Sarah Jones BCEP
Estate Planner
BCEP is awarded by Become an Estate Planner on passing the coached programme's assessments — we tell you exactly what's behind the letters, and you can tell your clients the same.
Understanding the Professional Bodies
These organisations exist and have value within the industry. Here's what each one offers — and our honest take on when to join:
IPW (Institute of Professional Willwriters)
The IPW is the leading professional body specifically for will writers. They provide a code of practice, complaints handling, and CPD requirements. Membership costs around £300-400/year.
Our honest take: IPW membership is worth having once you're established and earning. It adds professional credibility and gives your clients a complaints route. But it's not essential to start — and your clients won't know what IPW is until you tell them. Our free course covers the knowledge areas needed for IPW entry, so you can join when you're ready.
SWW (Society of Will Writers)
The SWW is the longest-established professional body for will writers, founded in 1996. They offer training approval, regulation, and a professional community. Membership costs around £300-500/year.
Our honest take: Similar to IPW — valuable for established practitioners, but not something you need before seeing your first client. The SWW and IPW are broadly equivalent in terms of client-facing credibility. Pick one when you're ready, not before.
STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners)
STEP is an international professional body for trust and estate practitioners. The STEP Diploma is a serious qualification that costs £2,000+ and takes 1-2 years to complete. Annual membership is £500+.
Our honest take: STEP is for experienced practitioners who want to specialise in complex estate planning, trusts, and tax. It's not for someone just starting out. Get established first, build your practice, then consider STEP if you want to move into higher-value, more complex work.
CILEx (Chartered Institute of Legal Executives)
CILEx offers formal legal qualifications that cover will writing alongside broader legal practice. Qualifications cost £1,000+ and take 1-3 years.
Our honest take: CILEx is a broader legal qualification — good if you want to work in a law firm or move into general legal practice. But if your goal is specifically will writing and estate planning, it's overkill for what you need. You'd spend years and thousands of pounds getting a qualification that's broader than necessary.
The Real Cost of Each Pathway
What you'd actually spend before seeing your first client:
| Pathway | Upfront Cost | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Other course + IPW | £800-2,500 | High — money gone if not for you |
| Other course + SWW | £800-2,500 | High — money gone if not for you |
| STEP Diploma | £2,000+ | Very high — years before earning |
| CILEx | £1,000+ | Very high — broader than needed |
| Our Free Course | £0 | Zero — nothing to lose |
All pathways still require professional indemnity insurance (~£300-600/year) before seeing clients.
The Smart Route Into Will Writing
Don't gamble thousands on a career you haven't tried. Here's the sensible order:
Do our free course
Learn everything you need to know about wills, LPAs, trusts, client consultations, and document drafting. Complete in 2-4 weeks, online, at your own pace. Cost: £0.
Get your free certificate
On completion, you receive our accreditation certificate. This proves you've completed comprehensive professional training and you can use it in your marketing.
Get insured and start seeing clients
We help you get professional indemnity insurance. Then start seeing clients as an independent practitioner. Prove to yourself that you enjoy the work and can earn good money.
Add professional body membership when you're ready
Once you're established and earning, join IPW or SWW if you want the extra layer of professional credibility. Our training prepares you for both, so the application is straightforward. But do this when you're earning, not before.
What Clients Actually Care About
After training hundreds of will writers, here's what we know wins clients:
What wins clients
- Explaining things clearly in plain English
- Being professional, organised, and on time
- Having professional indemnity insurance
- Using proper software to produce quality documents
- Being recommended by someone they trust
- Having a professional website and materials
- Being patient and empathetic
- Following up and delivering on promises
What clients don't ask about
- —Which professional body you belong to
- —Whether you have a law degree
- —What specific qualification you hold
- —How long your training course was
- —Which training provider you used
- —Whether your course was accredited by STEP
- —Your academic background
- —How much you paid for training
The bottom line: clients choose will writers who are professional, insured, and good at what they do. Our free course trains you to be all three. Professional body membership is the cherry on top — not the foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about will writing qualifications:
Start Free. Prove It Works. Then Invest.
Don't spend thousands before you know if will writing is right for you.
Our free course gives you the training, the certificate, and the software to start seeing clients. Professional body membership can come later — when you're earning and you know this is your career.
No payment required. No credit card. Instant access.