Write your Will for free this October

Free Wills Month gives the opportunity to write or update your simple Will for free* with a solicitor local to you. All you need to do is book the appointment within October (the appointment itself can be later).

Available to our supporters, volunteers and staff who are 55 or older (if you’re in a couple only one of you needs to be 55+), it’s an easy and cost-free way to make sure your wishes are followed and that the people and causes you care about are looked after.

You might see the RNLI promoting the campaign across our channels and we appreciate your support and/or your participation. Feel free to discuss it with our supporters or with your friends and family. As you’re hopefully aware, six in ten of our lifeboat launches are only possible thanks to gifts left in Wills to the RNLI.

*For more complex Wills, a solicitor will speak to you about any potential costs.

Find out more

To find out more, please visit the Free Wills Month web page on our website or view the campaign's Frequently Asked Questions below.

And remember, there is no obligation for anyone to leave the RNLI, or any other charity, a gift in their Will. However, we hope that many will consider it and go on to leave a lifesaving legacy.

If you are under 55 and are still interested in our free Will writing services, visit our free Wills services web page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Free Wills Month?

Free Wills Month is a campaign that runs twice a year, in March and October, and allows those over the age of 55 to write or update their simple Will for free. Solicitors participating in the campaign agree to write Wills for the RNLI and other charities at a discounted rate, meaning that members of the public over the age of 55 can access them free of charge. 

How can I participate?

To find a local solicitor participating in the scheme, go to RNLI.org/FreeWillsMonth, call our friendly Supporter Experience Team on 0300 300 0062, or email [email protected].

You will need to contact the solicitor during the month of October while the campaign is live, but the Will-writing appointment itself can be later.

Will my Will be written free of charge for me?

A simple Will/mirror Will won’t cost you anything. However, should the chosen Solicitor find, during the drawing up of a Will (or mirror Wills), that the task is more complicated than expected, they may ask you to pay the difference.

Do I have to leave a gift to charity or the RNLI if I take up the offer?

No, people are not obliged to leave a gift to the RNLI when they take part in the scheme. However, the RNLI hopes that participants will consider doing so.

Why is Free Wills Month only available to over 55s?

The Equality Act 2010's age discrimination provisions came into effect in October 2012, when Capacity Marketing (whose network of solicitors write our Wills) sought and received from the Home Office dispensation to carry on this programme. The Free Wills service qualifies as niche marketing to a specific age group. The programme is intended for people aged 55 and over, although we would not prevent anyone younger taking up the offer.

For anyone over 18, but under 55, they can write a Will online or over the phone for free using our partner Farewill or Co-op Legal Services.

I want to make a Will as a couple, but only one of us is over 55 – can we still apply?

Yes, you can. Only one of you needs to be 55 or older.

What if I can’t get to an appointment in October or there isn’t a solicitor near me?

You don’t need to have an appointment in October, you can book this for a time that suits you. You just need to make contact with the solicitor in October. If there is not a solicitor near you, call us on 0300 300 0062 to speak to a member of our Gifts in Wills Team to discuss your options.

Why aren’t there any participating solicitors in other parts of the UK, or Ireland?

Free Wills Month uses participating solicitors in selected locations around England and Wales, where there are a limited number of participating law firms. Unfortunately, the campaign is not able to cover the whole of the UK due to the large network of solicitors required, but the locations do change periodically. If there is not a solicitor near you who is partaking in Free Wills Month, you may be referred to the National Free Wills Network, to find someone local to you. If you live in Ireland, you may be able to write or update your Will for free through the Irish Free Wills Network.