Mirror Wills are two separate Wills with matching terms, one for each partner. Each usually leaves everything to the other, then to the same beneficiaries, such as your children. They are simple and good value, but the surviving partner can later change their Will, so some couples add a property protection trust.
How mirror Wills work
Each of you makes your own Will, but the two Wills mirror each other. Typically the first to die leaves everything to the survivor, and when the survivor dies everything passes to the people you have both chosen, often your children. You will usually name the same executors and guardians in both Wills.
Because the Wills are prepared together, mirror Wills usually cost less than two separate single Wills. Most professional Will writers charge between £150 and £450 for a pair in 2026.
Who are mirror Wills for?
- Married couples and civil partners with shared wishes.
- Cohabiting couples, who have no automatic right to inherit from each other without a Will.
- Parents who want to name the same guardians for their children.
- Couples who have just bought a home together.
The risk with mirror Wills: sideways disinheritance
Mirror Wills are not binding on the survivor. After the first death, the surviving partner owns everything outright and can change their Will at any time. If they remarry, their marriage cancels their Will, and a new spouse could inherit under a new Will or the intestacy rules. This is called sideways disinheritance, and it can mean your children lose the inheritance you both intended.
It is a particular concern for blended families, where each partner has children from an earlier relationship.
Ways to protect your children's inheritance
- Property protection trust: each partner's share of the home is held in trust after their death. The survivor can live there, but that share passes to your chosen beneficiaries.
- Life interest trust over the wider estate: the survivor receives the income or use of assets, with the capital protected.
- Lifetime trusts: some couples consider a Family Asset Protection Trust or Standard Asset Trust for the home.
- Mutual Wills: a rare arrangement where both partners agree in a binding way not to change their Wills. They are inflexible and can cause disputes, so most advisers prefer trusts.
Joint ownership of your home matters
How you own your home affects what your Wills can do. If you own it as joint tenants, your share passes automatically to the survivor and cannot be left in your Will. To put your share into a property protection trust you usually need to own as tenants in common, which can be done by serving a notice of severance and updating HM Land Registry. Your Will writer should check this with you.
Mirror Wills compared
| Feature | Mirror Wills | Mirror Wills with property trust | Mutual Wills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survivor can change their Will | Yes, freely | Yes, but not over the trust share | No, bound by agreement |
| Protects children's inheritance | No | Yes, for the trust share | Yes, but rigid |
| Typical cost for a couple | £150 to £450 | £350 to £800 | Varies |