Page owner: Xwills · Updated 1 November 2026 · England & Wales
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How much do Mirror Wills cost?
£199 total for both people
Our fixed fee covers two standard Mirror Wills, professionally prepared around your instructions. No VAT added. No hidden charges.
The service includes a consultation, preparation of both Wills, a draft review, and signing and witnessing guidance. Executors, beneficiaries and guardians for children under 18 are addressed where appropriate.
If your circumstances call for trust provisions or other additional work, we explain the options and agree any additional fee before that work begins. Optional ongoing storage is charged separately; see our full pricing and storage details.
What are Mirror Wills?
Mirror Wills are two separate Wills made by a couple with broadly corresponding wishes. Commonly, each person leaves their estate to their partner first, then to children or other chosen beneficiaries if their partner has already died.
They can be used by married couples, civil partners and unmarried couples. Your wishes do not have to be identical: each person still gives their own instructions and signs their own document.
How our Mirror Wills service works
- Talk through your circumstances. We discuss your family, assets, existing Wills and what each of you wants to achieve.
- Choose your arrangements. Consider beneficiaries, executors, guardians where appropriate and what should happen if someone dies before you.
- Review your drafts. We prepare both Wills for you to check and discuss any changes before signing.
- Sign and keep them safe. We explain the signing and witnessing requirements and your storage options.
A simple example of how Mirror Wills work
Illustration: Alex and Sam each make a Will leaving their estate to the other, with their children as substitute beneficiaries. Alex dies first. Assets passing under Alex’s Will go to Sam outright. If Sam later dies without changing their Will, the children inherit the remaining estate under Sam’s Will.
However, Sam can normally change their own Will and can spend or give away assets they own. The children’s eventual inheritance is therefore not guaranteed. Some assets pass outside a Will: for example, a home owned as beneficial joint tenants normally passes automatically to the surviving owner.
What can your Wills cover?
- Who inherits and what happens if a beneficiary dies before you.
- Who acts as executor to administer your estate.
- Guardians for children under 18, where appropriate.
- Specific gifts, personal possessions and the remainder of your estate.
- Funeral wishes, which are generally not legally binding.
When are standard Mirror Wills suitable?
They may suit couples who want similar arrangements and are comfortable with the survivor owning inherited assets outright. Flexibility can be useful as circumstances change.
Extra care is needed with children from previous relationships, dependants with additional needs, overseas assets, business interests or different inheritance priorities. Unmarried couples should also consider that living together does not give them the same intestacy rights as spouses or civil partners.
Standard Mirror Wills or property trust provisions?
Mirror Wills describe the way two Wills correspond; they can themselves contain trusts. The comparison below is between standard arrangements leaving assets outright and Wills containing property trust provisions.
| Issue | Standard Mirror Wills leaving assets outright | Wills with property trust provisions |
|---|---|---|
| What happens on the first death? | The survivor inherits the assets covered by the gift outright. | A defined property share can be held on trust, subject to ownership and drafting. |
| Can the survivor change their own Will? | Normally yes, including who inherits assets they own. | Normally yes, but their own Will cannot rewrite the deceased person’s trust. |
| Who might consider this? | Couples comfortable with the survivor having ownership and flexibility. | Couples wishing to provide for the survivor while preserving a defined share for other beneficiaries. |
| What needs consideration? | Later changes in wishes, spending, gifts or remarriage can affect the intended inheritance. | Trustee duties, administration, tax, property ownership and the precise rights granted to the survivor. |
A trust is not automatically the right choice and does not guarantee protection from care charges. We discuss suitability before recommending additional planning.
Explore Property Protection Trust Wills →
When should you review your Wills?
Review them after major changes such as a birth, separation, bereavement or a change in your assets or wishes. Marriage or civil partnership normally revokes an existing Will, with exceptions such as a Will properly made in contemplation of that marriage or civil partnership. Get advice before relying on an existing document.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Mirror Wills cost at Xwills?
Our fixed preparation fee is £199 total for two standard Mirror Wills. No VAT is added. Trust provisions or other additional work are quoted and agreed separately before that work begins.
Can one person change their Mirror Will after the other dies?
Normally yes. Mirror Wills are separate documents and do not, by themselves, prevent the survivor from changing their own Will or using assets they inherited outright.
Are Mirror Wills suitable for unmarried couples?
They can be. An unmarried partner does not automatically inherit under the intestacy rules in England and Wales. Property ownership and tax treatment also need consideration; the right arrangement depends on each person’s circumstances.
Are Mirror Wills suitable if we have children from previous relationships?
Sometimes, but leaving everything outright to the survivor does not guarantee that your own children will ultimately inherit. We can discuss your priorities and whether trust provisions or different arrangements would be more suitable.
What is the difference between mirror and mutual Wills?
Mirror Wills broadly reflect each other’s wishes. Mutual Wills involve a binding agreement about testamentary arrangements and can restrict later changes. They are not interchangeable, and specialist advice is important before considering mutual Wills.
Does having Mirror Wills mean probate is unnecessary?
No. Whether probate is needed depends on the assets, how they are owned and the requirements of the organisations holding them. Making Mirror Wills does not itself remove the need for probate.
Do Mirror Wills protect against care fees or guarantee an inheritance?
No. Standard Mirror Wills leaving assets outright do not ring-fence those assets for the next generation. Trust planning has its own conditions, costs and limitations and should not be treated as a guarantee against care charges.
Sources and editorial information
This service page is maintained by Xwills. Andrew Walters is your contact for discussing your circumstances and the options available. Contact Xwills.
Official guidance checked for this update:
- GOV.UK: Writing your Will
- GOV.UK: Signing and witnessing requirements
- GOV.UK: Joint property ownership
- GOV.UK: Marriage, civil partnership and inheritance rights
- GOV.UK: Updating your Will
General information for England and Wales, not individual legal or tax advice. The right arrangements depend on your family, assets and wishes.
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