Client loyalty amongst those accessing will writing services is falling while online comparison sites and independent review sites are gaining traction, according to the latest annual report of consumer behaviour from IRN Research.
The Wills & Probate Consumer Research 2026 surveyed 1,600 adults in a nationally representative sample, which included 640 adults who have made a will and 336 adults who have been involved in estate administration.
The report charts a steady decline in the number of people who return to a firm or solicitor they have used in the past, down from 38% in 2023 to 27% in 2026, although this remains the most popular method of choosing will-writing services. Recommendations from friends, relatives and colleagues is second (17%).
At the same time, price comparison sites and independent review sites provide an indication of changing consumer behaviour, with the proportion of respondents using them up from 2% of respondents in 2023 to 14% in 2026.
Law firms and solicitors still take the largest market share, but it continues to decline: use of these advisers has dropped to 46% from over 50% two years ago. Specialist will writers are also being used by fewer respondents as other options, including some unregulated providers, become more popular. This mix of regulated and unregulated providers continues to cause consumer confusion with 39% of respondents assuming that all will writing services and individuals are regulated.
Almost half of respondents without a will say lethargy is the main reason for not having one with 48% saying that they “have not got round to it”, a slight decrease from the 54% of respondents who said the same thing in last year’s survey. One in five (20%) said they were too young to make a will, with the same number saying they don’t have enough assets to warrant making a will.
This year the report suggests the median cost of a will is £132. Over a third (36%) of respondents said they paid up to £100 (unchanged since last year), with 43% paying between £101 and £200 (39% in 2025), 17% paying between £201 and £500 (21% in 2025) and 4% paying more than £500 (unchanged).
Delays at the Probate Registry have resulted in nearly half of respondents (49%) saying the process took longer than expected; an increase from 45% in 2025 and 40% in 2024. The report suggests the availability of the Ministry of Justice online probate application portal is likely to have helped the 47% of respondents who completed the process themselves.
The number of providers offering a fixed-fee service is unchanged since last year, at 66%. Traditional hourly fees account for 17% of all fees charged in 2026, up from 14% in 2025 and 12% in 2024 and 8% in 2023.
As the government continues to assess the Law Commission’s wills reform proposals, public sentiment appears to be shifting. For the first time, over half of respondents (51%) said digital wills would be better and more convenient, growing slightly from 49% in 2025.
