Where Should I Keep my Will?

Once you have made your Will, it is important to keep it somewhere safe and to make your Executor, a close friend or relative aware of where it is. If a professional makes your Will, they will usually keep the original and send you a copy for your records. You can ask for the original if you wish to hold it. Some people choose to lodge their Will with a bank or at the Probate Registry for safekeeping, although there may be a charge for this service.

It is a good idea to store your Will, any life assurance documents, funeral plans and other relevant documents in the same place, so that your family have all the information they need should you die unexpectedly.

Changing your Will

Any Will that is validly drawn up (and the requirements are quite strict) takes effect on the death of the person who made it. Until then, it can be altered by the addition of a further document, known as a Codicil (this is usually only advisable for minor changes), or it can be replaced by a completely new Will at any time.

You may need to review your Will because of a change in your personal circumstances e.g., divorce, remarriage, having a child, so it is worth revisiting the contents of your Will every five years to ensure that they are still current.

If there is the slightest possibility of doubt or uncertainty about the meaning of a Codicil, it is better to have a completely new Will drawn up and revoke the old Will. Codicils must be signed and witnessed in the same way as a Will but you do not have to use the same witnesses as for the original Will.

Destroying a Will

If you want to destroy a Will, you must burn it, tear it up or otherwise destroy it with the clear intention that it is revoked.

You must destroy the Will yourself or it must be destroyed in your presence; instructing an executor to destroy your Will would have no effect on its legal standing. Similarly, if a Will is destroyed by accident, it is not revoked and can still be declared valid.

Although a Will can be revoked by destruction, it is advisable that your new Will should contain a clause revoking all previous Wills and codicils, just in case someone were to reassemble the old version and claim it had been destroyed by accident. Revoking a Will means that it is no longer legally valid.

Never make alternations to the original document. Also, do not attach any separate documents to your Will with staples or paperclips.