Will storage

badger09

Hoping to sign my revised will, drawn up by STEP solicitor, tomorrow. They would store my will & register it with National Will Register. BUT they are merging with another legal firm at the end of the month & if I want new firm to store will I have to agree that my file will be xferred, sign new T&Cs etc by 26 May

I think I would rather be responsible for my own original will. Would registering it with both HMCTS & National Will Register be necessary? Having spent quite a lot on 🤞🏻 getting it right, I don’t want to mess up now.

Savvy_Sue

I don't know, but I think HMCTS actually stores the original will for you? What does the Register do? (As obviously you can only store the original in one place.)

I wouldn't do both, and would probably go with HMCTS. The other is probably a very sound business, but it's not The Government, which will always be with us ...

badger09

Yes looks like HMCTS actually stores original will. National Will Register records who holds the will and it seems to be what solicitors use so presumably reliable organisation
So I guess I either keep original myself & record details with National Will Register, or send it to HMCTS. If I keep it, executors will know where it is when needed. If it’s with HMCTS they need to get hold of it before they can apply for Probate.

Has anyone any experience of either or both?

Gonk1967

Personally i would go with the HMCTS. My father-in-law passed away recently and we had a horrible job getting hold of his will… the original solicitor went bust, the next one went bust, then the next one got shut down the the SRA.

At least its not likely the HMCTS will go bust and lose it.

poseidon1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81996028#Comment_81996028

The service is administered in Birmingham on behalf of HMCTS by a NYSE quoted American company called Iron Mountain Inc in conjuntion with AWS providing cloud computing services.

Been around since 1951 specialising in records management. At a market cap of around $35 billion, unlikely to go bust any time soon, unlike many UK firms of solicitors.

RAS

HMCTS is cost effective and effective. You'll be given a code that your executor needs. I'd suggest making sure they have it and also taking photocopies and scans of your will. Just so those who are around when it happens know who to contact re the estate.

Bit belt and braces but in the event a will does go missing (apart from legal firms, the occasional mail fail), there is something that might be accepted as valid.

Yorkie1

Don't forget that the HMCTS solution is also more likely to be fire-proof than your own house in the unlikely event of a fire.

Savvy_Sue

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81996273#Comment_81996273

And it's also tamper-proof, in the event that someone decided to 'lose' a will stored in your home.

Ours is still a work in progress, but I think I'll go with HMCTS once it's done. Fairly recently someone in another thread confirmed that the process of retrieval was painless, and did not cause undue delay. Remembering retrieval of my parents' wills, one of the executors had to go to the solicitor with a letter from the other agreeing that it could be given to just one of us. It wasn't difficult, but it wasn't instantaneous.

badger09

Thanks to all for useful comments. HMCTS seems the most foolproof option. I’ll make several copies before I send it off. One for each Executor (husband & son) and one to keep with my financial records & LPAs
It’s taken a while but I can see light at the end of my ‘make life easier for those who have to sort my stuff out’ tunnel.

Yorkie1

Do NOT unstaple the original will to make any copies.

badger09

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81997619#Comment_81997619

Thanks I did know that.
I now have my original will and a certified copy. I’ll send the original to HMCTS and take photocopy (without removing staples) of certified one fir my son.
This is the end of a long, at times painful, and expensive process but feels good to have ticks in the LPA & updated Will boxes.
I can now turn my full attention to more gifting, more spending, and making sure I survive at least 7 years🤞🏻