Your Will only works if it can be found, in its original signed form and in good condition, when it's needed. A drawer at home is the most common place to keep a Will, but it's also where Wills are most often lost, damaged or found by the wrong person. Professional storage, with the Will registered so your Executors can find it, is the safest option.
Key Takeaways
- Your Executors need the original signed Will. A photocopy is very rarely accepted.
- If your Will can't be found, the law may treat you as having died without one, and the intestacy rules decide who inherits.
- Worse, an older Will you thought you'd replaced may turn up and be followed instead.
- At home, Wills are lost in house moves and clear-outs, damaged by fire or flood, or read by people you'd rather didn't see them.
- Professional storage keeps your Will safe, private and findable. We store Wills for £30 a year, or £50 a year for a pair.
This guide covers Wills made in England and Wales.
Why does it matter where you keep your Will?
When you die, your Executors must send your original Will to the Probate Registry. A copy, or a scan on a computer, is very rarely accepted, and trying to prove a copy is slow, expensive and uncertain. So the paper Will you signed is the one that counts.
In our experience, three things go wrong more than anything else:
- Nobody can find it. Families often don't know a Will exists, or where it was kept. With no Will found, the law may treat you as having died without one, and your estate passes under the intestacy rules, which may be nothing like what you wanted.
- The wrong Will turns up. If your latest Will is lost but an older one is found, the older Will may be followed instead, even though your newer Will cancelled it. Your most recent wishes would simply be ignored.
- It's damaged. Torn, stained or water-damaged pages, missing staples or loose pages can lead the Probate Registry to ask questions about whether anything was removed or changed. A Will found torn or burnt may even be treated as if you'd meant to cancel it.
Is it safe to keep your Will at home?
Many people keep their Will at home, in a drawer, a filing cabinet or a fireproof box. It's free and convenient, but it comes with real risks:
- Fire, flood and burglary. One incident can destroy the original.
- Lost in a house move or clear-out. Wills are easily mistaken for old paperwork, especially years later.
- Read by the wrong person. A relative, a visitor or even a cleaner may come across it and read what you've left to whom, sometimes causing upset long before it's needed.
- Tampering. A Will kept at home is easier for someone to remove, damage or hide.
- Your Executors may not know where it is. Even a perfectly safe hiding place is no use if nobody knows about it.
If you do keep your Will at home, keep it flat, unfolded and together in one place. Never unstaple it or attach anything to it. Make sure your Executors know exactly where it is. Our Superior upgrade binds your Will with tamper-proof rivets, so its pages can't be removed or swapped without it showing.
What about a bank or a solicitor?
Some banks still store documents, but many have stopped, and those that do usually charge. Getting a Will out of a bank after a death can also take time, as the bank will want proof of who's asking.
Solicitors often store Wills they've written themselves. That's safe, but it can tie your Executors to that firm, and Wills can be hard to trace if the firm later closes or merges.
How does professional Will storage work?
Professional storage keeps your original Will in a secure, controlled place where it's protected, private and easy for your Executors to find.
We store Wills through our partners Kings Court Trust, at their secure professional storage facility near Corsham in Wiltshire, a former underground bunker that's been converted into a climate-controlled document store. Here's how it works:
- Contact us to arrange storage. We'll send you a standing order form for the yearly fee.
- Post your signed Will to us. We check it's been signed and witnessed correctly before it goes into storage.
- We forward it to the storage facility and register it on the National Will Register, the UK-wide database that solicitors and Executors search when they're looking for a Will.
- You receive a reference number so your Will can be retrieved whenever it's needed. Tell your Executors you've stored it with us.
Storage costs £30 a year for a single Will or £50 a year for a pair, such as Mirror Wills. If you want your Will back during your lifetime, for example to replace it with a new one, retrieval costs £15. When your Executors need it after your death, retrieval is free.
What should you tell your Executors?
Wherever you keep your Will, your Executors need to know:
- that you've made a Will, and roughly when;
- where the original is kept, and any reference number;
- who to contact to get it.
You don't need to tell them what's in it. If you'd like your family to know where everything is, including your Will, you could leave a short note with your other important papers.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep a copy of my Will at home?
Yes, and it's a good idea to keep a copy for reference. Just make sure it's clearly marked as a copy and that everyone knows where the original is kept.
What happens if I make a new Will?
Your new Will normally cancels the old one. If your old Will is in storage, we can retrieve it so it can be destroyed, and store your new one in its place. That avoids any risk of the old Will turning up later.
Does storing my Will make it valid?
No. A Will is valid if it's signed and witnessed correctly, wherever it's kept. That's why we check your Will before it goes into storage. Read who can witness a Will.
Can I store a Lasting Power of Attorney too?
Lasting Powers of Attorney are different. Once registered, your attorneys need the original to use it, so it's usually best kept somewhere they can get to it easily. Contact the Will Team if you'd like to talk it through.
The short version: make sure your Will can be found
A Will that can't be found, or that's been damaged, may as well not exist. Keep the original safe, private and findable, and make sure your Executors know where it is. If you'd like us to look after it, our storage service costs £30 a year, with free retrieval for your Executors.
About this guide
This guide was written and checked by the Downloadawill Will Team. It explains the law and the options in general terms and isn't legal advice for your own situation. Downloadawill is a trading style of Direct Wills. All our Will Writers are Members of The Society of Will Writers. We've been writing Wills for people in England and Wales since 1997. Read more about us.
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