Understanding the true cost of death

The Will-writing industry is dominated by cheap-Will headlines. But the price of the Will is a rounding error against the true cost of a death - our analysis suggests a Will can be as little as 1% of it. Three examples of where the real money goes:

Lost assets

If your affairs include an ISA your executor never finds, your family lose it - entirely, and usually without ever knowing. Unclaimed estates in the UK are measured in billions. The cure is embarrassingly simple: a maintained record of what exists, which is why one is built into every Kinherit plan through Kinvault, our sister company.

Inflated probate fees

Many Will-writers write themselves in to do your probate. Instead of a proportionate fee, estates can pay several times the going rate - on a typical family estate, a five-figure difference. Kinherit does not do probate, so we have no such conflict: we recommend appointing trusted family or friends as executors, leaving them free to choose the best probate option if and when it is needed.

Disputes

A last-minute DIY or cheap Will that ends up contested can easily add five figures in legal costs - and years of delay while the estate sits frozen.

The reframe

Add these up and the avoidable cost of a death routinely reaches tens of thousands of pounds. Seen against that, proper planning - qualified advice, a comprehensive Will, a maintained asset record, and a managed handover - is not a cost at all. It is the highest-return investment most families will ever make. Our current fees are always on our services page.

Key takeaways

• The Will's price is a poor proxy for the cost of the death
• Lost assets, inflated probate and disputes are where families actually lose money
• Planning is an investment measured against tens of thousands in avoidable cost

See kinherit.co.uk/services for our services and fees, or book a complimentary consultation.