Your Will is only valid in its original form
A Will is one of the few documents in life where only the original counts.
Copies, scans, and digital versions are not accepted for probate. Without that signed original, your wishes may never be carried out. Yet most people store their Wills at home—where fire, flood, or simple forgetfulness can erase years of careful planning in seconds.🌿 Fact: In a Law Society survey, 72% of UK adults said they would not know where to find their parents’ Will.
That statistic shows why professional storage isn’t an upsell—it’s essential protection.
What can go wrong
Case 1 — The “helpful” cleaner
Mr Adams kept his Will in a desk drawer. After his death, it couldn’t be found. His earlier Will, written seven years before, took effect—benefiting the same relative who had recently “helped tidy” his house.
A retired firm’s archive flooded. Hundreds of clients’ original Wills were destroyed. Families spent years trying to prove scanned copies to the Probate Registry. 
Case 3 — The forged heir
In 2023, the BBC reported a fraudster presenting a fake Will worth £2 million. A centralised storage record would have exposed the forgery immediately.
These stories aren’t rare—they’re daily warnings of what happens when no one knows where the original Will is.
Why home storage fails
Even the best-intentioned clients face five unavoidable risks:🌿 Fire or flood damage
🌿 Accidental loss or misfiling
🌿 Tampering or theft
🌿 Outdated copies circulating after updates
🌿 Executors not knowing where to look
If a Will is missing when you die, the law presumes you destroyed it intentionally. Unless your executors can prove otherwise, your estate may fall under intestacy rules.
Professional storage — what it solves
A professional archive protects your Will for the lifetime of the document, providing physical security, audit trails, and insured replacement if anything happens.At Fern Wills & LPAs, we partner with The National Will Safe, a national facility designed for permanent legal storage.✅ Fire- and flood-proof premises
✅ Digital scan and off-site backup
✅ £2 million insurance against loss or damage
✅ Executor identity cards and unique storage code
✅ Secure retrieval by proof of death certificate and ID
✅ Automatic registration with The National Will Register
Documents suitable for storage
- Last Will & Testament
- Foreign Wills
- Codicils
- Powers of Attorney
- Severance of Tenancy and Land Registry papers
- Letters of Wishes
- Photographs or inventories of gifted items
- Letters to children, executors, or trustees
- Family Provision Claimant Form
Technical notes — what happens if a Will is lost
If an original cannot be found, executors may apply to prove a copy under Rule 54 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987.
They must file a detailed statement covering:- the search steps taken,
- who would benefit if the copy is proved or rejected, and
- evidence that the Will was not revoked.
Courts often reject these applications. When they succeed, it can take years and cost thousands in legal fees—far more than professional storage ever would.
Case reference: Singh v Vozniak (2016)— a Will presumed destroyed was later accepted only after a four-year legal battle and extensive witness evidence.
At-a-Glance: Home vs Professional Storage
Home storage — risks
- Vulnerable to fire, flood, loss, or tampering.
- Executors may not know where it is.
- No insurance or registration.
- Access uncontrolled and unrecorded.
Professional storage — Fern Wills & LPAs solution
- Fire- and flood-proof archive.
- Registered on a national database so any solicitor or Will writer can locate the Will if needed.
- Free retrieval or return at any time.
- Authorised-access only, with full audit trail.
- Fully insured up to £2 million against loss or damage.
- Executor ID cards and clear retrieval instructions.
Peace of Mind That Lasts a Lifetime
Your Will is one of the few documents that truly matters only once — and by then, you can’t replace it.
Professional storage protects more than paper; it protects your intentions, your executors, and your family’s future.
🌿 Keep your wishes safe, insured, and traceable nationwide.
With Fern Wills & LPAs and The National Will Safe, your Will can always be found, always be valid, and always do exactly what you intended.
