How much does it cost to contest a will?
Short answer
Entering a caveat to pause probate costs just £3, but full contested proceedings typically cost £30,000–£150,000 or more per side. Some firms offer no-win-no-fee agreements for stronger cases. Because costs are so high, most disputes settle — and weak claims are rarely worth starting.
The cost range in will disputes is enormous, because the first step is nearly free and the last step is a High Court trial.
The cost ladder
- Caveat: £3. A caveat lodged at the Probate Registry prevents a grant of probate being issued while you investigate — it can be entered at any time before probate and is the standard first move.
- Investigation and negotiation: obtaining the will file, medical records, and witness evidence through solicitors costs from hundreds into the low thousands.
- Full contested proceedings: £30,000–£150,000+ per side. Costs at this level can consume a large slice of the estate, which is why the great majority of disputes settle before trial. Some firms offer conditional fee ("no win, no fee") agreements for stronger cases.
What you would be arguing
Cost only makes sense against the strength of your grounds. There are five: lack of testamentary capacity (the Banks v Goodfellow test); want of knowledge and approval, which becomes live where there are suspicious circumstances such as a beneficiary preparing the will; undue influence — pressure that overpowers the testator's own volition, and notoriously hard to prove; fraud; and failure of due execution (the two-witness formality rules). Homemade wills are the most vulnerable, particularly on execution and knowledge-and-approval.
If the will is valid but simply leaves you nothing — or an unfairly small share — invalidity is the wrong tool. The route is a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, available only to qualifying categories such as spouses, children, cohabitants, and dependants. That claim carries a strict six-month time limit from the grant of probate — check your deadline with the Inheritance Act claim window calculator.
Timing matters generally: challenging a will after probate has been granted is possible — the grant can be revoked — but everything becomes harder once assets have been distributed. If you are considering a challenge, enter the caveat, take advice early, and be realistic about proportionality before committing to litigation.
Related guides
Challenging an Estate: Deadlines and Protective Steps
Most estate disputes are lost on the calendar rather than on the merits. This guide is about the clock and the paperwork that stops it: which route your dispute falls into, what the deadline is for each, and the protective steps — a caveat, a standing search — that buy you time while you take advice. For the five grounds for invalidating a will see <a href="/wills-probate/contesting-a-will-grounds">contesting a will: the five grounds</a>; for claims for reasonable financial provision see <a href="/wills-probate/inheritance-act-claims">Inheritance Act 1975 claims</a>.
8 min
Grant of Probate: The Probate Process Explained
A Grant of Probate is the legal document issued by the Probate Registry that confirms the executor's authority to deal with the deceased person's estate. Most financial institutions and land registries require a Grant of Probate before releasing assets. This guide explains when you need probate, how to apply, what it costs, and what happens during estate administration.
10 min
Making a Will
A will is the only way to ensure your assets go to the people you choose after your death. Without a valid will, the intestacy rules determine who inherits — and these may produce very different results from your wishes, particularly if you are unmarried, have stepchildren, or have a complex family situation. Making a will is one of the most important legal steps you can take.
11 min
More wills questions
Disclaimer