What To Know About Storing A Will

September 25, 2025October 4, 2025

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Properly storing your will is essential to ensure your wishes are carried out after your death. Your will will only be valid if it is the original, signed, and witnessed document, as this makes it legally binding. This makes it essential to store it safely, and keeping it at home is not recommended.

A burglary, fire, or flood could destroy it, or it may be damaged or removed by someone who may not agree with its contents.

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Will Storage Options

There are a few different ways you can safely store your will outside of your home.

These include a solicitor or will writing service that provides a professional and secure storage environment for your documents, HM Courts and Tribunals Service that allow you to deposit your will for a one-off fee, ensuring it is safely stored and retrievable during your lifetime, and professional document storage providers that specialise in keeping important documents, including wills and related legal paperwork, secure and accessible.

Storing Wills and Powers of Attorney

If you have a UK Power of Attorney in place, it’s also important to store this document with your will.

A UK Power Of Attorney is essential in ensuring your financial and health decisions are made in accordance with your wishes while you are still alive, but unable to communicate them yourself.

Wherever your will and UK Power of Attorney are stored, your executors and appointed attorneys must know how to access them. By keeping your documents secure yet easy to access, you can prevent legal complications.