How to Locate a Will

Hunting high and low for a loved one’s Will is the last thing you want to be doing at such an emotional time.

If you don’t know how to find the Will of a family member or friend who’s no longer with us, the first steps are to ask their solicitor or a family member.

Ask their solicitor

If you know that the deceased had a solicitor write up their Will, there’s a very good chance they will have a copy, so it’s worth contacting them. If you discover that the solicitor is no longer in business, there might still be a way you can track it down.

You’ll need to contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority. It’ll have an archive of all the records for solicitors in England and Wales. From here, you should be able to find out if the solicitor practice has been taken over by anyone.

Ask their family

The first port of call is to ask close relatives and friends if they know where the deceased is likely to have kept their Will. The home is often the first place to look.

Check through piles of letters, filing cabinets, safes, and their office, if they have one.

It might be worth looking at their address book to see if they’ve noted down any legal contacts such as solicitors.

Ask the bank

It might be possible the individual who’s passed away used their bank to write their Will – you can contact the bank to check if that’s the case.

The bank may ask for some proof of identity, as well as the death certificate before handing a Will over to you.

What if I can’t find the Will?

If you can’t find the Will after doing all the above, our legal experts may be able to help. You can request a callback at the top of the screen, or get in touch below.

Should the lack of a Will cause any issues between family members, our solicitors can work to resolve any instances of disputed probate. We also have a full guide to what happens if someone dies without a will, and who might inherit what.

More about our wills, estates and probate services

 

Note: First4Lawyers offers this information as guidance, not advice. Before taking any action, you should seek professional assistance tailored to your personal circumstances.