How much does a will cost in Queensland? A lawyer, the Public Trustee or a will kit

There is no single price for a will in Queensland. A will kit or online will has a listed price, but you do the work and carry the risk of mistakes. The Public Trustee of Queensland says it prepares wills at no charge. A solicitor charges for advice as well as drafting, and each firm sets its own fee.

In this guide: What each option costs; Do you need a lawyer?; Which suits you?; What a quote should include; Executing a will; Updating your will; FAQs.

Prices and Queensland law checked on 25 September 2026.

What each option costs: a will kit, the Public Trustee or a solicitor

Each provider sets its own price, so compare what you get, not just the dollar figure. Whoever you choose, ask for the total price, including GST, before you start.

Option	What you pay (checked 25 September 2026)	What you get	Advice about your situation?	Often suits	What to check	Source
Will kit or online will	The listed price, plus any yearly fee for changes	A form or guided questions. You arrange signing and witnesses	Usually not	A simple estate	The signing rules; gifts to witnesses; keeping the original safe	Succession Act ss 10, 11
Public Trustee of Queensland	No fee. It says it “prepares Wills free of charge as a community service for all Queenslanders”	A one-hour meeting with a will maker, who prepares your will. You sign at its office, with its witness	Information about your options, and a written summary (an “Acknowledgement of Advice”)	People who want a no-cost will from a public body	Its fees to run your estate, if you name it as executor	Fees and charges; Our Wills service
A solicitor: simple will	Each firm sets its own. Ask for the total, including GST, in writing	Usually a meeting, advice, drafting and a signing appointment	Yes	People who want advice on their family and assets	What the price includes, and what costs extra	Legal Profession Act ss 307A to 308
A solicitor: wills for a couple	Ask for the total for both, including GST	Two matching wills, often called mirror wills	Yes	Couples with similar wishes	Whether each of you gets your own advice	As above
A solicitor: complex will	Ask for a written quote before work starts	Advice and drafting for a business, trusts or a blended family	Yes	See the checklist below	What could change the price	As above

Prices checked on 25 September 2026. Each provider may change its prices. Please check before you decide.

What pushes the price of a will up

• A blended family or stepchildren.
• A business, a company or a family trust.
• A testamentary trust, which is a trust set up by your will.
• Property in another state or overseas.
• A beneficiary who needs protection, such as an adult child with an addiction.
• Someone likely to make a claim on your estate.

Each of these usually means more advice and drafting. A will also does not control everything. Property you own with someone as joint tenants, and superannuation, can pass outside your will. See assets that pass outside your will.

What a solicitor’s fixed fee should cover

Ask what the price includes before you agree:

• how long the first meeting is, and whether it is in person, by phone or by video
• drafting, and how many rounds of changes
• a signing appointment with witnesses
• copies of the signed will
• storing the original will, and whether that costs extra
• a home or hospital visit, if you need one
• what later updates cost.

Adding an enduring power of attorney and an advance health directive

Many people make these with their will. An enduring power of attorney lets you appoint one or more people to make financial or personal decisions for you (Powers of Attorney Act 1998 s 32(1)). An advance health directive records your directions about your future health care (s 35(1)). An enduring power of attorney must be in the approved form and signed and dated by an eligible witness (s 44(1), (3)): a justice of the peace, commissioner for declarations, notary public or lawyer who meets the other tests in s 31(1). Compare the options in enduring power of attorney or a general power of attorney.

Do you need a lawyer to make a will in Queensland?

No. Queensland law does not require a lawyer to prepare your will. What the law controls is how the will is signed. It must be in writing and signed by you in front of 2 witnesses who are present at the same time. Both witnesses must then sign in front of you (Succession Act 1981 s 10). A will kit or online will that follows these rules can be valid.

The signing rules that matter most

1. Both witnesses must be present together when you sign, or when you confirm your signature to them (s 10(3)).
2. A person who cannot see you sign cannot act as a witness (s 10(10)).
3. A gift to a witness is generally void, unless at least 2 other witnesses were not beneficiaries or another exception applies (s 11(2), (3)).
4. Changes made after you sign must be signed and witnessed like a will (s 16(1)).
5. A practical tip, not a rule in the Act: use 2 independent adults who are not beneficiaries and are not a beneficiary’s partner.

What happens if a home-made will goes wrong?

The Supreme Court can accept a document that was not signed properly as a will, if satisfied the person intended it to be their will (s 18). It can also correct a will that has a clerical error or does not carry out the will-maker’s instructions (s 33(1)). An application to correct a will generally has to be made within 6 months of the death, but the court can allow more time if it considers it appropriate and the estate has not been finally distributed (s 33(2), (3)). Both need a court application, which adds time and legal costs.

Does having no will save money?

Not necessarily. If there is no valid will, the Succession Act decides who inherits, using a fixed formula (s 35(1) and schedule 2). That may not match your wishes. Your family may also need to apply to the Supreme Court for a grant called letters of administration (s 6(1)).

A will kit, the Public Trustee or a lawyer: which suits you?

A will kit or online will can suit a simple estate, such as leaving everything to a partner and then to adult children, with no business, trust or blended family. The Public Trustee can suit people who want a will prepared by a public body at no cost to them. A solicitor is worth considering when your family or assets are complex, or when someone may challenge your will.

When a will kit or online will may be enough

• Your family and assets are simple.
• You have no business, company or family trust.
• All your beneficiaries are adults.
• You are not leaving out anyone who might claim on your estate.

You carry the risk of wording and signing mistakes. The Public Trustee’s FAQs say a self-made will “may not be properly signed and witnessed, or the wording may not achieve what you want”.

When the Public Trustee may suit you

The Public Trustee charges no fee to make your will, “whether you appoint Queensland Public Trustee as your executor or not” (fees page). Its will makers prepare your will, and it can store the original. If you name it as executor, it charges fees to administer your estate, and says that cost “depends on the complexity of the estate” (estate administration fees). Both checked on 25 September 2026.

When paying a lawyer is usually worth it

1. A blended family. If your will does not make adequate provision for your spouse, children or some dependants, they can ask the court to order more from your estate, and the court decides (Succession Act s 41(1)). A spouse includes a de facto partner, generally after 2 years living together as a couple (s 5AA(2)). Children include stepchildren and adopted children. Dependants are limited to a parent, the parent of your child under 18, or a person under 18, whom you wholly or substantially supported (s 40). A stepchild stops counting as one if you and their parent divorce, or your de facto relationship or civil partnership with their parent ends (s 40A(2)). See who can make a claim on an estate in Queensland.
2. You want to leave someone out, or give unequal shares.
3. A business, a company or a family trust. You cannot give away by will property you hold as a trustee (s 8(5)). See choosing a structure for a family business.
4. You want a testamentary trust.
5. A beneficiary who needs protection. See providing for an adult child with an addiction.
6. You are marrying, separating or divorcing. See updating your will, below.
7. Property outside Queensland. Another state may have its own rules. For overseas assets, the Public Trustee notes that “The laws around Wills and deceased estates vary from country to country”.

A solicitor cannot stop someone making a claim on your estate, but advice can help your will set out your reasons and plan for the risk.

What should a solicitor’s quote for a will include?

Ask for a written price that shows the total, including GST, and exactly what it covers. Queensland law sets out what a law practice must generally tell you about its costs, based on the likely legal costs, not counting GST and disbursements (outlays, such as fees paid to others) (Legal Profession Act 2007 s 300).

• Up to $1,500: the practice does not have to give formal disclosure (s 307A). Ask for the price in writing anyway.
• Over $1,500, up to $3,000: at least a short disclosure of the services, how costs are worked out, and estimated costs and disbursements. It can be given orally, but must then generally be confirmed in writing (ss 307B, 310A(1), (2)).
• Over $3,000: a detailed written disclosure, including an estimate of the total legal costs, or a range (ss 308, 310A(3)).

Any costs agreement must be written or evidenced in writing (s 322(2)).

Questions to ask:

• Is the price fixed or hourly, and does it include GST?
• Who will prepare my will?
• What happens to the price if my will turns out to be more complex?
• Will you advise on superannuation and jointly owned property?

If you disagree with a bill, you can generally apply for a costs assessment within 12 months after the bill was given or payment was requested (s 335(5)). A late application may still be dealt with in some cases (s 335(6)). On a client’s application, the Supreme Court or QCAT can set aside a costs agreement if satisfied it is not fair or reasonable (s 328(1)).

How much do solicitors charge for executing a will?

It depends what you mean. Executing a will can mean signing it, and the signing appointment is usually part of the price of making your will, so check that it is. More often, people mean carrying out a will after a death: collecting the assets, paying debts and giving the rest to the beneficiaries. That is estate administration, a separate cost that depends on the size and complexity of the estate. See what an executor does, and how executors are paid.

When will you need to pay to update your will?

Changing a signed will means making a new will or a codicil, and each provider sets its own price for that. Check your will whenever your life changes, because some changes affect it automatically. In Queensland, marriage generally cancels an earlier will, unless it was made in contemplation of that marriage (Succession Act s 14). Entering a civil partnership has the same general effect (s 14A). Divorce, and the end of a de facto relationship, generally cancel gifts to a former partner and their appointment as executor, unless your will shows a contrary intention (ss 15, 15B).

A codicil is a document that changes part of a will. The Act treats it as a will, so the same signing rules apply (ss 5, 10, 16). The Queensland Government suggests you review your will every 3 to 5 years.

Frequently asked questions

Does Centrelink make wills for pensioners?

The Queensland Government’s wills page lists 3 main ways to prepare a will: a solicitor or lawyer, a trustee organisation such as the Public Trustee, or a self-made will. Centrelink is not one of them. The same page says the Public Trustee’s will-making service is for “Queenslanders over the age of 18” (checked 25 September 2026).

Where can I get a will made at no cost in Queensland, and what is the catch?

The Public Trustee of Queensland charges no fee to prepare a will (see the table above). Its FAQs also say that while there is generally a cost for a will kit, “you may be able to pick one up free of charge” (checked 25 September 2026). Whatever you choose, check what advice is included, who you are naming as executor, and what that executor may charge your estate later.

What type of lawyer should I use for a will?

A Queensland solicitor whose practice includes wills and estates, also called succession law. Before you agree to a price, ask the questions in the section on quotes above.

Who keeps the original will?

You can keep it yourself, or ask a solicitor or the Public Trustee to store it. The Public Trustee says it “can also provide free secure storage for your original Will after it is signed” (checked 25 September 2026). Ask your solicitor whether they store wills, and at what cost. Tell your executor where it is. Do not write on it or remove the staples: marks and damage can raise questions about whether you meant to revoke it (Succession Act s 13(e)).

How much does an enduring power of attorney cost in Queensland?

It depends who prepares it. The Public Trustee lists its standard preparation fee as “$216.25 (including GST) for an individual” and “$329.35 (including GST) for a couple” (checked 25 September 2026). A solicitor sets their own fee, so ask for the total including GST. You can also download the approved form from the Queensland Government website, but it must still be signed and dated by an eligible witness (Powers of Attorney Act 1998 ss 31, 44).

How we can help

Ready to make or update your will? Call Catton Roderick Lawyers on 1300 673 792 or email info@cattonroderick.com.au. We have offices in Caboolture and Redcliffe, and see clients in Birtinya (Sunshine Coast) and Brisbane by appointment.

• Wills and estates lawyers in Caboolture
• Wills and estates lawyers in Redcliffe
• Sunshine Coast wills and estates (Birtinya, by appointment)
• Brisbane wills and estates (by appointment)

You can also send an enquiry through our contact page.

This page is general information about Queensland law as at September 2026. It is not legal advice about your situation. Time limits apply, so please get advice about your own circumstances.

Sources

1. Succession Act 1981 (Qld), ss 5 (definitions of “court” and “will”), 5AA(2), 6(1), 8(5), 10(2), (3), (4), (10), 11(2), (3), 13(e), 14(1), (3), 14A, 15(1), (3), 15B(1), 16(1), 18(2), 33(1), (2), (3), 35(1) and schedule 2, 40, 40A(2), 41(1). Version in force from 28 April 2026. https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1981-069 (checked 25 September 2026)
2. Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld), ss 300, 307A, 307B, 308, 310A(1), (2), (3), 322(2), 328(1), 335(5), (6), and schedule 2 (definition of “tribunal”). Version in force from 1 July 2025. https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2007-024 (checked 25 September 2026)
3. Powers of Attorney Act 1998 (Qld), ss 31(1), 32(1), 35(1), 44(1), (3). Version in force from 28 April 2026. https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1998-022 (checked 25 September 2026)
4. Queensland Public Trustee, “Wills and powers of attorney fees and charges” (page last updated 3 September 2026). https://www.pt.qld.gov.au/about-us/fees-and-charges/fees-and-charges-for-wills-and-powers-of-attorney (checked 25 September 2026)
5. Queensland Public Trustee, “Our Wills service” (page last updated 3 September 2026). https://www.pt.qld.gov.au/wills-powers-of-attorney-estates/wills/our-wills-service (checked 25 September 2026)
6. Queensland Public Trustee, “Frequently asked questions about Wills” (page last updated 20 November 2024). https://www.pt.qld.gov.au/wills-powers-of-attorney-estates/wills/frequently-asked-questions-wills (checked 25 September 2026)
7. Queensland Public Trustee, “Deceased estate administration fees” (page last updated 18 September 2026). https://www.pt.qld.gov.au/wills-powers-of-attorney-estates/deceased-estates/deceased-estate-administration-fees (checked 25 September 2026)
8. Queensland Government, “Wills and estate planning” (page last updated 1 April 2025). https://www.qld.gov.au/seniors/legal-finance-concessions/legal-support/wills-estate-planning (checked 25 September 2026)

Last reviewed: 27 September 2026