When you die, your Will is either going to be there, or it’s not.
If it can’t be found, it’s not there.
If you die in a house fire, your Will is likely to die with you.
I recommend to all my clients that their valuable documents (Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Letters of Wishes and so on) are stored professionally.
I have made sure that none of my clients need me to still be working my little socks off, when they need their Will. I’ve deliberately outsourced the professional storage, so that clients can access their own documents in appropriate circumstances. Clearly in the event of death, a Death Certificate will be required, provided by the correct executors, so that the original Will can be released to them.
Professional storage means that nothing happens to your original documents, which could give rise to a query at the Probate Registry, when it’s time to use your Will.
You’d be surprised what can happen to an original Will in the hands of the inexperienced. The little indentation that a paperclip marks a document with, or a removed staple, can all be hazardous, in that the Probate Registry will demand to know what was there, what the consequences of it were, and why it’s not there now.
It pays to look after your valuable documents properly, and the company that deals with the preparation of your Will, should have some sort of facility. Stay alert though, and check what succession plans they have in place, in the event that they retire, fall ill, or die… which can even happen to the person taking your Will instructions and preparing your Will.
As always, if you have any questions, call Jane on 01727 840 240.