Where Wills Are Usually Stored
- At home — drawer, filing cabinet, or safe. Most common location.
- With a solicitor — many solicitors store Wills free of charge for clients
- Bank safe deposit box — less common now but still used
- HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) — Wills can be deposited with the Probate Registry for safekeeping (£20 fee)
- National Will Register (Certainty) — commercial Will registration service
How to Search the Probate Registry
Once a Grant of Probate has been issued, the Will becomes a public document. You can search online at gov.uk/search-will-probate for free. Records go back to 1858. If the estate has not yet entered probate, the Will will not appear here.
💡 Tip: Contact the deceased’s bank, financial adviser, and any solicitor they used. Many solicitors notify executors proactively when they hold a Will — but not always.
What If No Will Can Be Found?
If no Will is located after a thorough search, the estate is treated as intestate. The next of kin applies for Letters of Administration rather than a Grant of Probate. The estate is then distributed under the Intestacy Rules — not according to any verbal wishes the deceased may have expressed.
Can a Lost Will Be Reconstructed?
If a Will existed but cannot be found, the court can sometimes admit a copy into probate — but the presumption is that a Will that cannot be found was destroyed intentionally by the testator (i.e., revoked). This is very difficult to overcome without strong evidence.
Sources & references
- GOV.UK — Search for a Will or probate record
- GOV.UK — Wills, probate and inheritance
- Citizens Advice — Wills
Authoritative UK government, HMRC, statute and Citizens Advice sources. Last reviewed: 31 May 2026.
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