So once you have made the will how do you keep it safe?  You can hide it somewhere in your home, if you are sure that a prying family member will not have a sneak peak.  A bank that still offers a safety deposit box service is another option, if you can still find one, but retrieving the documents can be quite complicated with the need to obtain a grant of probate before the box can be opened by anyone else but its owner.

If you use a will-writing service or a firm of solicitors, they will usually also offer a storage service but if they don’t National Willsafe will store it for you although they will only work directly with the client once it has been established that the person or agency that wrote the will does not offer the service.

They charge £26 per year (per set of documents) and they will store documents relating to wills, power of attorney and land registry etc. (but not house deeds).  They store the original and also keep an electronic copy and their service is completely confidential. When they take on storage they establish arrangements for a time when the inevitable happens and papers are released, as prearranged, on proof of death.  They also have contingencies in place for those who use will-writing agencies that become member companies and that later go out of business.

So if you are a little worried about your present will storage arrangements it may be an idea  to telephone National Willsafe on  0345 644 6236.