How do I store my will safely?
General Wills
Where you store your will is crucial - it must be kept safe but also accessible to your executors when needed.
Good storage options:
1. At home
- In a fireproof safe or lockbox
- Tell your executors exactly where it is
- Free, but risk of loss, damage, or not being found
2. With your solicitor
- Many solicitors offer free will storage
- Professional security
- They'll have a record if you lose contact
3. With a bank
- Some banks offer safe custody services
- May charge annual fees
- Very secure but may be harder to access quickly
4. Probate Service storage
- National Probate Registry stores wills (small one-time fee)
- Very secure and permanent
- Registered on the Certainty Service database
5. With your online will provider
- Services like WillsConnect offer secure digital storage
- Easy to access and update
- Backup copy always available
Important tips:
- Tell your executors where your will is stored - this is critical
- Keep a copy for reference (but mark it clearly as a copy)
- Never attach anything to your will with pins or staples (looks suspicious)
- Don't store with something you keep in a bank safe deposit box if executors can't access it
- Register it with the National Will Register or Certainty Service so it can be found
The original will is what matters legally - copies can be useful for reference but won't be accepted for probate unless the original genuinely can't be found.