How Much Does a Will Cost in Washington?

By The Estate Planning Guide Editorial Team Researched against primary sources

Published June 11, 2026 Updated September 23, 2026 6 min read

Quick answer

No Washington law sets what a will costs, and we found no published source for Washington will-drafting prices as of September 2026 that is not a law firm, an online document seller, or a site paid to refer customers to one. What Washington law does set is below. 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 the ones a statute or a named, dated publisher sets. 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

We found no published source for this figure as of September 2026. The Washington will prices that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them. None is an independent publisher, so none is cited here.

No Washington statute sets what a will costs to draft. Washington law sets how a will must be executed to be valid, and what the court charges to probate it — neither fixes a drafting fee.

What the court charges

The deadline the fee buys into

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).

EPTL §3-2.1(a)(1)(C) provides that a person who signs the testator’s name for the testator must sign their own name and affix their address, and is not counted as one of the necessary attesting witnesses.

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.

EPTL §3-2.2(a)(2) defines a holographic will as one written entirely in the testator’s handwriting and not executed and attested under the §3-2.1 formalities.

The self-proving affidavit

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, the attesting witnesses may be called to testify to the execution when the will is offered for probate. SCPA §1406(1) is what removes that step, by letting the court accept their sworn affidavit instead.

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

We found no published source for Washington will-drafting prices as of September 2026, so this page states no range and no price drivers. The prices on this page that are fixed by law are the court’s, above, with the statute that fixes them cited there.

What the record shows

Item	Washington
Price of a will	Not set by law; no independent published source found as of September 2026
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, the self-proving affidavit, the court’s own fee schedule and the claim period are set out above with their statutory citations. No figure is published here for what a will costs to draft: we found no independent published source as of September 2026.

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 sets out what Washington law fixes about making a will and probating it, as of September 2026. It is not legal advice; statutes and figures change and depend on your situation. Confirm current rules with a licensed Washington attorney. It states no drafting price, because we found no independent published source for one. 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?