Missing Will, terminal illness

RAS

Spendless said:

When we made a will earlier this year to my complete surprise, the solicitor sent us the wills for us to sign and get witnessed. Even if you knew which solicitor we'd used he wouldn't have a valid one to show for this very reason.

You can lodge your will with the Probate Registry for the princely sum of £20, less for some on benefits. Send any codicils with the will for a single fee. Takes 3 weeks to retrieve, at any time you want. Avoids hunt the firm who've taken over after retirement or failure of the original firm.

andygb

Keep_pedalling said:

Unfortunately if the will was drafted by a solicitor some years age they will almost certainly not longer hold a copy of it. If you have a good idea of how she would have wanted certain items distributed you can simply do that if all the beneficiaries are happy to do so. 

The solicitors should keep a copy of the will until at least after the client's death. Most firms keep copies of wills at least fifty years.

https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/contact-or-visit-us/helplines/practice-advice-service/q-and-as/how-long-should-a-clients-original-will-be-retained

Spendless

andygb said:

Keep_pedalling said:

Unfortunately if the will was drafted by a solicitor some years age they will almost certainly not longer hold a copy of it. If you have a good idea of how she would have wanted certain items distributed you can simply do that if all the beneficiaries are happy to do so. 

The solicitors should keep a copy of the will until at least after the client's death. Most firms keep copies of wills at least fifty years.

https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/contact-or-visit-us/helplines/practice-advice-service/q-and-as/how-long-should-a-clients-original-will-be-retained

As per my prev post, we made ours earlier this year despite what the solicitor said at the time, he then sent ours out  for us to sign and have witnessed. Our solicitor wouldn't have a valid copy of our will cos the only signed documents are with us.

Thanks @RAS for details on what to do. 

sheramber

You could ask the solicitor to hold the Will.

We made our Wills in 1993 and my solicitor still had my husband's when he died in 2019. 

As far as I know he still holds mine.

pollypenny

Our solicitor has the original will and we have the copy. Dated 2019 when we changed executors as son lives in America.