Who covers Northern Ireland, and at what price
| Provider | Northern Ireland? | How it works | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| ClearLegacy | Yes — a separate Northern Ireland edition, drafted under the 1994 Order | Online questions; issued once it has passed ClearLegacy’s checks, usually within 24 hours | £89 single, £129 mirror |
| Wilson Nesbitt Solicitors, Belfast and Bangor | Yes — a Northern Ireland law firm | Online questionnaire, up to 30 minutes of phone support, each draft checked by a solicitor; first draft within 5 working days; storage of the original | £240 single, £360 mirror, including VAT |
| Farewill | Telephone Will: its terms list Northern Ireland. Online Will: its pages do not say | Telephone appointment with a Wills specialist | Telephone Will £240 single, £380 couple |
| Co-op Legal Services | Not directly — “we provide services in England and Wales” | Partners with Wilson Nesbitt for Northern Ireland | See Wilson Nesbitt |
| Octopus Legacy | Home visits: listed for Northern Ireland by Macmillan. Online Will: its pages do not say | Home visit | Ask for a quote |
| Macmillan Free Will Service | Yes | Through partner firms, including Wilson Nesbitt’s Belfast and Bangor branches | Free |
How to read this table. Every entry is taken from the provider’s own website on 5 October 2026, except where we say the source is Macmillan. “Its pages do not say” means exactly that: we read the page and found no statement either way. It does not mean the answer is no. Ask them.
Why the jurisdiction matters more than the price
England and Wales and Northern Ireland are separate legal systems with separate statutes. A Will here is governed by the Wills and Administration Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1994, trustee powers come from the Trustee Act (Northern Ireland) 1958, and where a Will does not deal with something the fallback is the Administration of Estates Act (Northern Ireland) 1955. An England and Wales Will cites the Wills Act 1837 and the Trustee Act 1925, which does not extend to Northern Ireland at all.
The signing rules are the same in both places, so the risk is not usually that an English-drafted Will fails outright. It is what the document says once it is read: the powers it gives your trustees and the rules it assumes are the wrong ones. Our guide to what makes a Will valid in Northern Ireland sets out the differences.
The local comparison: a Belfast solicitor’s online Will
Wilson Nesbitt is the closest like-for-like, and the fairest one to measure us against. It is a Northern Ireland firm, it publishes its price, and the process starts online. It is also the firm Co-op Legal Services names as its partner in Northern Ireland, and one of the firms behind Macmillan’s free service.
ClearLegacy costs £151 less for a single Will and £231 less for a couple, and is usually faster. What their extra money buys is real: a solicitor checks every draft, you get up to 30 minutes on the phone with a specialist, the original is stored for you, and you can sign at their office with witnesses provided. ClearLegacy is a will-writing service, not a law firm. We draft what you tell us, check it against the formalities, and send signing instructions that follow Article 5 of the 1994 Order. We do not advise on what you should put in it.
So the honest dividing line is this. If your affairs are straightforward and you know what you want, the lower-cost route gives you a valid Will for Northern Ireland. If you want someone qualified to talk it through with, or there is a business, a farm, property abroad or a likely dispute, pay for the solicitor.
The national brands
Farewill. Its telephone Will terms say the service prepares a document “for use as a will in either England (including Isles of Scilly and Isle of Wight), Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland”. The telephone Will costs £240 for one person and £380 for a couple. The pages for its lower-priced online Will do not say which nations it covers. One charity that funds free Farewill Wills, the RNLI, tells its supporters that the free online service is available to people living in England and Wales. Confirm with Farewill before paying for the online version.
Co-op Legal Services. Its own website is clear: “we provide services in England and Wales”, with Wilson Nesbitt as its partner in Northern Ireland.
Octopus Legacy. Macmillan lists Octopus Legacy home visits as available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Octopus online Will pages we read do not say which nations the online Will covers.
The free routes
If a free Will fits you, take it. Macmillan’s service runs all year for anyone over 18 and includes Northern Ireland; Free Wills Month and Will Aid run at set times. Our cost guide covers who qualifies for each and what Will Aid’s suggested donation comes to.
A Will written for Northern Ireland
£89 single, £129 mirror. Drafted under the 1994 Order, fixed fee, usually delivered within 24 hours.
Start your Will — from £89 →Sources
- Wilson Nesbitt — Wills services, what’s included — “£240 (£200 + VAT)” for a standard single Will, “£360 (£300 + VAT)” for standard mirror Wills, first draft within 5 working days, telephone support “totalling up to 30 minutes”.
- Farewill — Telephone Wills terms — the nations the telephone Will covers.
- Co-op Legal Services — About us — “we provide services in England and Wales” and the partnership with Wilson Nesbitt in Northern Ireland.
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Free Will Service — the partner list, including Octopus Legacy home visits “(England, Wales and Northern Ireland)” and Wilson Nesbitt branches “in Bangor and Belfast”.
- RNLI — Free online Will-writing service — the England and Wales limit on its free online Wills.
- Wills and Administration Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1994, Article 5 — execution formalities.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use an online Will service if I live in Northern Ireland?
Yes, but check that the Will is drafted for Northern Ireland. Wills here are governed by the Wills and Administration Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1994, not the Wills Act 1837 that applies in England and Wales, and some of the best-known services say they provide services in England and Wales. Ask any provider which law the Will is drafted under before you pay.
Does Farewill cover Northern Ireland?
Farewill's telephone Will terms, read on 5 October 2026, list Northern Ireland among the places it will prepare a Will for; its telephone Will is priced at £240 for one person and £380 for a couple. The online Will pages we read on the same date do not say which nations the online Will covers, so confirm with Farewill before paying for the online version.
Does Co-op Legal Services write Wills in Northern Ireland?
Not directly. Co-op Legal Services says on its own website that it provides services in England and Wales, and that it has partnered with Wilson Nesbitt in Northern Ireland so that it can offer legal services UK-wide.
How much does a solicitor's online Will cost in Northern Ireland?
One Northern Ireland firm publishes its price. Wilson Nesbitt, with offices in Belfast and Bangor, charges £240 including VAT for a standard single Will and £360 including VAT for standard mirror Wills, checked on its website on 5 October 2026. That covers an online questionnaire, up to 30 minutes of telephone support, a solicitor's check of each draft and storage of the original.
What does ClearLegacy cost in Northern Ireland, and how is it different?
£89 for a single Will and £129 for mirror Wills, drafted under the 1994 Order and usually delivered within 24 hours. ClearLegacy is a will-writing service, not a law firm: the Will is issued once it has passed ClearLegacy's checks, and we do not give advice on your circumstances. If you need advice, or your affairs are complicated, a solicitor is the right choice.
Is there a free option in Northern Ireland?
Yes. Macmillan's free Will service is open all year to anyone over 18, Northern Ireland included, and its partner list includes Wilson Nesbitt's Belfast and Bangor branches and home visits from Octopus Legacy. Free Wills Month and Will Aid also run at set times of year. Our cost guide sets out each one.