Your Storage Options
| Option | Cost | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home safe (fireproof) | One-off safe cost | Immediate access, private | Fire/flood risk if not fireproof; can be lost |
| Solicitor storage | Often free if they drafted it | Professional safekeeping | May be harder to retrieve if the firm closes or merges |
| HMCTS Probate Registry | One-off deposit fee | Permanent, official, searchable | Retrieving requires application; slow |
| National Will Register | Registration fee | Records where the Will is held so it can be found | Additional cost; registers the location, not the document |
| Bank safe deposit box | Annual fee | Secure | Box may be sealed on death — problematic |
⚠️ Never store a Will in a bank safe deposit box as the primary copy. Banks often seal boxes on notification of death — before the Will can be retrieved to begin probate.
The Most Important Rule
Tell your executor exactly where the original Will is stored — and keep that information updated. A Will that cannot be found causes delay, cost and sometimes a court application (see below).
Store a note with your important documents listing: where the Will is, who your solicitor is, where your LPAs are and any other key information your executor will need.
Should I Keep a Copy?
Keep a scanned copy in a secure location (email, cloud storage) for reference only. The original wet-ink signed Will must be produced for probate — a copy is not normally enough on its own.
What Happens If the Original Cannot Be Found?
If a Will was last known to be in the person's own keeping and cannot be found after their death, the law presumes they destroyed it deliberately to revoke it. That is why where you keep it matters as much as how you sign it.
The presumption can be rebutted. Executors can apply to the Probate Registry to prove a copy, but they need evidence that the Will was not revoked — for example that it was lost in a house move or that the person spoke of it as still in force shortly before death. This takes time and is not guaranteed to succeed.
If the copy is not accepted, the estate passes under the most recent earlier valid Will, if there is one. If there is none, the intestacy rules apply.
Before reaching that point, executors should search properly: check the home, ask local solicitors' firms, search the Probate Registry and any Will register. Our guide on how to find a Will sets out the steps.
Sources & references
Authoritative UK government, HMRC, statute and Citizens Advice sources. Last reviewed: 31 May 2026.
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