Where to Store a Will UK: Solicitor, Safe and Will Register
Updated 15 May 2026 · 6 min read · England & Wales
Writing a valid will is only half the task — your executor must be able to find it after you die. In England and Wales, only the original signed will (with wet ink signatures) can be submitted for probate. A will that cannot be found may mean your estate is distributed under intestacy, contrary to your wishes.
Option 1: Fireproof Safe at Home
The simplest approach is to store your original will in a fireproof, waterproof home safe and tell your executor exactly where it is. A document-rated fireproof safe (Class EN 1 minimum, protecting paper to 30 minutes at 1090°C) typically costs £50–£200.
- Advantages: Immediate access; no ongoing fees; you retain control
- Risks: Fire or flood can still cause loss; burglary risk; executor must be told the safe combination; you may move house without updating the location record
If you store the will at home, tell your executor the location in writing — in a letter of wishes or a Executor Guide kept somewhere accessible.
Option 2: With a Solicitor
Many solicitors offer will storage as a service — often free if they drafted the will, or for a modest annual fee. The solicitor keeps the original in their strong room and provides you with a copy.
- Advantages: Fireproof, professional premises; solicitor is easy to identify from correspondence; regulated by the SRA
- Risks: Solicitors merge, close, or retire — your will may be transferred to a successor firm or to the SRA's storage service without you knowing; annual storage fees vary
If your solicitor closes, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) takes custody of client documents and will databases. Contact the SRA (0370 606 2555) to trace a will previously held by a defunct firm.
Option 3: HM Courts & Tribunals Service (Probate Registry)
You can deposit your will with the Principal Probate Registry in London under s.126 of the Senior Courts Act 1981 for a fee of £20. The will is held under seal and can only be opened by you during your lifetime, or by your executor after your death.
- Advantages: Extremely secure government storage; straightforward retrieval process; low one-off cost
- Risks: Not widely known; your executor must know to search there; the deposited will cannot be easily updated (a new original must be deposited separately)
To deposit: complete Form PA8 and take your sealed will envelope to the Principal Registry, First Avenue House, 42–49 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6NP.
Option 4: The National Will Register (Certainty)
The Certainty National Will Register is the UK's largest private will registration service. It does not store the will itself — it records where the will is held so executors can search for it after death.
- What it records: Your name, date of birth, and the location of the will (your solicitor, a safe deposit, your home address)
- Cost to register: Approximately £25–£30 for lifetime registration
- Cost to search: Approximately £108 for a standard 30-day search (paid by the executor after death)
- Coverage: Certainty covers England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland
Many solicitors automatically register wills they store on the Certainty database. If your solicitor uses Certainty, your executor can run a name search and immediately identify which firm holds the will — without needing to write to every solicitor the deceased ever used.
How Executors Find a Will After Death
If the deceased did not tell anyone where the will is stored, executors should:
- Search the home — safe, filing cabinet, desk drawers, personal files.
- Search the Certainty National Will Register — a 30-day search covers all deceased persons registered. Order at certainty.co.uk.
- Check with known solicitors — write to any solicitor the deceased used, asking whether they hold a will. Include a copy of the death certificate.
- Check safe deposit boxes — contact known banks for safe deposit box access; a death certificate and confirmation of executor status is usually sufficient.
- Search the Principal Probate Registry — apply to search the deposited wills index using Form PA1S.
- Check with the SRA — if the will was held by a firm that has since closed, contact the SRA at sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/
See our separate guide to how to find a will after someone dies.
What to Tell Your Executor
Wherever you store your will, your executor must know:
- The exact location (firm name and address, or safe location)
- Any access credentials (safe combination, box number, reference number)
- Whether there are any codicils and where they are stored
- Whether you have registered on the Certainty database
- Whether you have any LPAs, and where those are stored
The best place to record this is in a dedicated executor guide kept in a different location from the will itself (so your executor can read it without first finding the safe).
| Option | Cost | Best for | Key risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home fireproof safe | £50–£200 (one-off) | Simplicity; instant access | Executor must know location |
| Solicitor | Free–£30/yr | Professional safekeeping | Firm may close or merge |
| Probate Registry deposit | £20 (one-off) | Maximum security | London only; updating complex |
| Certainty Will Register | £25–£30 (registration) | Findability after death | Not storage — records location only |
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I keep a copy of my will at home?
A copy is useful for your own reference, but only the original signed will (with wet signatures) is probated. Keeping a copy at home is fine — just make clear it is a copy and note where the original is stored. Never sign multiple originals; it creates confusion and potential disputes about which version is current.
Can my executor access my will before I die?
Only if you have given them a copy or told them where it is stored. Your executor has no legal right to access the original will during your lifetime — it belongs to you. If stored with a solicitor, the solicitor will only release it after death (to the executor, following sight of the death certificate).
Is the National Will Register (Certainty) free?
Registration on the Certainty National Will Register costs around £25–£30 (2026 prices) for lifetime registration. A search for a deceased person's will costs around £108 for a standard 30-day search. The fee is charged to the executor or person searching.
What if a will cannot be found after death?
If a will cannot be found, the estate may be administered on intestacy. A lost will can sometimes be admitted to probate if its contents can be proved by secondary evidence (a copy, a solicitor's file note) and the court is satisfied it was not intentionally destroyed. Applications are made to the Probate Registry — this is expensive and uncertain.
Do I have to register my will anywhere in England and Wales?
No. There is no legal requirement to register a will in England and Wales. The National Will Register (Certainty) is a voluntary private register. Registration is recommended as a precaution so executors can locate the will, but absence of registration does not affect the will's validity.
If I update my will, what happens to the old will held by a solicitor?
Contact your solicitor and ask them to either return the old will to you (so you can destroy it) or replace it with the new will in their storage. Leaving an outdated will with a solicitor risks confusion if the new will is stored elsewhere. Always tell your executor which document is current and where it is held.
Write the Will, Then Store It Right
Our WillSafe kit includes an Executor Guide that prompts you to record exactly where your will and key documents are stored — so your executor never has to guess.
Get the WillSafe Kit →Related Articles
- How to store a will safely
- How to find a will after someone dies
- Executor duties checklist
- Letter of wishes
- Revoking a will
- How to update a will
This article is for general information only. Fees and procedures mentioned are correct as at May 2026 but may change — always verify current costs directly with the relevant organisation.