How Much Does a Will Cost in Washington?

By The Estate Planning Guide Editorial Team Researched against primary sources

Published June 11, 2026 7 min read

Quick answer

A simple will in Washington typically costs $400 to $1,500 with an attorney, and $0 to $150 online. Washington does not recognize handwritten (holographic) wills made in-state, so the DIY-on-a-napkin route doesn't work here. A will directs an estate through Washington probate rather than avoiding it. If avoiding probate is the goal, that's a living-trust question.

⚠️ Educational information only — not legal, tax, or financial advice.

The figures on this page are general estimates. Laws, fees, thresholds, and prices differ by state and change often, and your own situation may change the result. Before you act, confirm the current numbers and rules for Washington with a licensed professional — an attorney, tax advisor, or licensed agent as appropriate. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship.

What a will costs in Washington

How you make it	Typical cost in Washington	Best for
Attorney-drafted	$400 to $1500	Most people; anything with children, property, or blended families
Online will service	$0 to $150	Simple estates, clear beneficiaries
Pure DIY / handwritten	$0	Rarely the best idea — easy to get wrong

Illustrative Washington pricing as of 2026 — re-verify with current quotes. Attorney quotes are often for a small package (the will plus financial and healthcare powers of attorney), not the will alone.

A simple will in Washington is genuinely inexpensive — $400 to $1500 with an attorney, and as little as $0 online. The price is low for a reason: a will is a relatively simple document. The cost climbs only when your situation is complicated — minor children and a guardianship decision, a blended family, a business, or potential estate tax.

What makes a will valid in Washington

A valid Washington will must be in writing, signed by the testator, and attested by two or more competent witnesses who sign in the testator's presence and at the testator's direction (RCW 11.12.020).

The witnesses should be disinterested — that is, not people who inherit under the will — so no one can later argue they had a reason to lie about the signing. Get that one detail wrong and the gift to an interested witness (or the whole will) can be challenged.

Can you write your own will by hand in Washington?

Washington does NOT recognize holographic (handwritten, unwitnessed) wills executed in the state — a will must have two witnesses (RCW 11.12.020). The only exception is a holographic will validly made in another state that allows them; Washington will honor that foreign will.

Even where a handwritten will is legal, it’s the riskiest way to do it: no witnesses means no one to confirm it was really you and that you weren’t pressured, and ambiguous handwriting is a gift to anyone who wants to contest it. A typed, witnessed, self-proved will costs very little and avoids all of that.

The self-proving affidavit (a small step that saves a big headache)

Washington allows the attesting witnesses to sign a self-proving affidavit complying with RCW 11.20.020(2), so the court can admit the will without the witnesses testifying later. It speeds up probate; a standard typed, witnessed will is easiest to admit.

Without it, your witnesses may have to be tracked down years later to confirm they watched you sign — which can be impossible if they’ve moved, lost touch, or died. It’s one of the cheapest, highest-value things you can add to a will.

What a will does not do in Washington

A will directs an estate through probate; it does not remove assets from it. A will tells the Washington probate court who receives what and who administers the estate. Property governed by the will still passes through probate — the court-supervised, public process.

The cost of the document and the cost of probate are therefore separate figures. For what probate itself costs in Washington, see How Much Does Probate Cost in Washington?.

What passes outside probate in Washington

Assets transfer outside probate only by operation of law or contract, regardless of what a will says. The recognised mechanisms are:

Beneficiary designations — retirement accounts, life insurance, and payable-on-death accounts pass to the named beneficiary.
Joint ownership with right of survivorship — passes to the surviving owner.
Transfer-on-death instruments, where Washington authorises them.
Assets titled into a funded living trust.

A will has no effect on any asset transferred by these routes. For the Washington figures on the trust alternative, see How Much Does a Living Trust Cost in Washington?, and for the documented differences between the two instruments, Will vs. Trust: How They Differ.

What affects the price in Washington

Published pricing varies with these factors:

Preparation route. Online will services are the lower end of the range; attorney drafting is the upper end. Washington-specific forms and a self-proving affidavit are not included by every service.
Bundling. A will, a financial power of attorney, and a healthcare directive are commonly quoted together at less than the sum of their separate prices. The power of attorney and directive operate during life; a will operates only at death.
Estate complexity. Minor children, blended families, business interests, special-needs beneficiaries, and estate-tax exposure are the factors attorneys cite for higher quoted fees.

What the record shows

Item	Washington
Attorney-drafted simple will	$400 – $1,500
Governing statutes	RCW 11.12.020 (requisites of wills; execution); RCW 11.20.020 (proof of will; affidavits of witnesses)
State authority	Washington Courts / Revised Code of Washington (app.leg.wa.gov)

A will directs an estate through probate and does not remove assets from it. Execution requirements, the treatment of handwritten wills, and the self-proving affidavit rules for Washington are set out above with their statutory citations. Figures reflect published 2026 pricing and should be re-verified against live quotes.

Will costs in other states

Compare Washington with what a will costs in other states:

How to Write a Will (and What Makes It Valid) — the full step-by-step.
Do I Need a Will? — what happens under intestacy when there is none.
How Much Does a Will Cost with a Lawyer? — the national cost picture.
How Much Does Probate Cost in Washington? — the separate cost of probate itself.
How Much Does a Living Trust Cost in Washington? — the instrument that holds assets outside probate.

This page explains will costs and validity rules in Washington in general terms as of 2026. It is not legal advice; statutes and figures change and depend on your situation. Confirm current rules with a licensed Washington attorney. Cost figures reflect published 2026 attorney and online-service pricing and should be re-verified with live quotes. Sources: Washington Courts / Revised Code of Washington (app.leg.wa.gov); RCW 11.12.020 (requisites of wills; execution), RCW 11.20.020 (proof of will; affidavits of witnesses).

Related guides

What Happens If You Die Without a Will by State

Do I Need a Will? What a Will Does and What Intestacy Does

How Much Does a Will Cost with a Lawyer?