The one rule that matters most
Only the wet-ink original is legally effective — not a scan, not a photocopy, not the PDF. Everything below is about protecting that single piece of paper and making sure the right people can find it.
Never: a bank safe-deposit box
It feels like the safest place in the world, and it is the worst. The box cannot be opened without probate, and probate cannot be obtained without the will — your executors are locked out of the document they need to unlock the box. If your will is in one now, move it.
Your storage options compared
| Option | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Home, fire-resistant box | Cost of the box | The practical default. Somewhere dry, fire-resistant and known to your executors. |
| Solicitor storage | Free–small annual fee | Safe and professional; make sure executors know the firm, and check retrieval terms if the firm closes or merges. |
| HMCTS Probate Service storage | ~£23 one-off | Government-run will storage; executors need the storage reference to retrieve it. |
| Certainty National Will Register | Small one-off fee | Registers the will's existence and location (not its contents) so it can always be found — a backstop alongside any option above. |
Whatever you choose: tell your executors
The most common storage failure is not fire or flood — it is silence. Tell your executors exactly where the original is, and write the location on a note with your important papers. A will that cannot be found is treated as no will at all, and the intestacy rules decide instead.
What not to do with the original
- Do not attach anything with pins, staples or clips — marks suggest missing pages
- Do not write on it after signing — amendments are invalid unless executed like a will
- Do not laminate it — alterations to the physical document raise questions at probate
- Do not keep the only copy somewhere nobody else knows about