Mon–Fri 9am–7pm · Sat 10am–4pm · Home visits across the North
0330 223 7844 info@willguard.co.uk

Will Storage & National Will Register

Free, secure storage of your original will plus registration on the National Will Register so it can never be lost, damaged or forgotten.

Why where you keep your will matters

A perfectly drafted will is worth nothing if no one can find it after you die. Lost wills are a surprisingly common cause of intestacy — the deceased had a will, but the family couldn’t locate it, so the law treated them as if they had none. Wills get destroyed in house fires, lost during downsizing, accidentally thrown away with old paperwork, or simply forgotten in a loft for so long that no one knows where to look.

That’s why we offer free secure storage to every Will Guard client and recommend it strongly. Your original will is held in our climate-controlled, fireproof, insured storage facility, and indexed so it can be located and released to your executors within 48 hours of being requested.

What’s included as standard

  • Free indefinite storage of your signed original will.
  • Free storage of any codicils added later.
  • Free registration on the National Will Register through Certainty.
  • Wallet card for your purse or wallet identifying us as the holders of your will.
  • Free release to your nominated executors on production of a death certificate.

There’s no annual fee, no hidden charges, and no obligation — if you ever want your original will back, we return it free of charge within 7 working days.

Will Storage & National Will Register

What is the National Will Register?

The National Will Register (operated by Certainty under contract to the Law Society) is a searchable database of registered wills used by professional executors, solicitors and the public to locate a missing will. We register every will we draft on the Register at no charge to you.

When you die, your executors (or any solicitor handling your estate) can search the Register for a small fee to confirm that you had a will and where it’s held. This dramatically reduces the risk of your will being missed — particularly if you’ve moved house, lost touch with family, or appointed a professional executor who doesn’t know your personal arrangements.

Why this is increasingly important

People move house an average of seven times in their lifetime. Paperwork goes astray. Family relationships change. Banks no longer offer free will storage. Solicitors’ firms merge, close or refuse to keep wills they didn’t draft. Without a central register, even careful families can lose track of where a loved one’s will is held. The National Will Register fixes all of that with a single national search.

Will Storage & National Will Register advice

How storage works in practice

Once you sign your will at our second visit, we take it back to our office and process it within 48 hours. The original is sealed in a plastic envelope, given a unique reference number, photographed for our records (only the cover page, not the contents), and added to our secure storage system. You receive a confirmation letter with your reference number, a wallet card, and instructions for your executors.

If you make changes to your will later, the old version is returned to you (or destroyed at your request) and the new version stored in its place. Codicils are stored alongside the original will so executors automatically see all the relevant documents together.

Estate planning

What happens after you die?

Your executors locate our contact details on your wallet card, in your records, or via a search of the National Will Register. They contact us with a copy of the death certificate and proof of identity. We verify both, then release your original will to them by recorded delivery or for collection in person, usually within 48 hours of receiving the request.

There is no charge to your executors for the release. We don’t insist on being instructed to administer the estate or charge any fee for handing over what is, after all, your document. Many of our clients ask us to handle probate on a fixed-fee basis, but it’s entirely your executors’ choice.

Storing existing wills

We’re happy to store wills drafted by other firms or by clients themselves, provided we can verify they’re properly signed and witnessed. The same free service applies. If you’ve been paying annual fees to your solicitor, your bank, or a probate firm to store a will, you’re welcome to move it to us at no charge.

Common questions

Frequently asked

Is my will really safe with you?

Our storage facility is fireproof, climate-controlled, secure-access only and fully insured. Wills are sealed individually and only released against verified death certificate and ID.

Can I take a copy home?

Yes — we provide you with a copy of the signed will at no charge. Some clients keep the copy at home and let us look after the original; others prefer the original at home and a digital copy with us. Either works.

What if Will Guard ceases trading?

Stored wills would be transferred to a successor firm or returned to clients before any closure — this is a requirement of our Society of Will Writers membership. Our PI insurance also covers your loss in the unlikely event a will were ever damaged or lost.

Do you charge to release my will to my executors?

No, never. Free release is a core part of the service — we’d be embarrassed to charge for handing over your own document at the worst time of your family’s life.

Related services

Protect what matters most

Free, no-obligation consultation in your home or by video. Fixed-fee wills from £95.

Book Free Consultation Call 0330 223 7844