Unite Wills has changed its name to Union Wills, allowing anyone who is a member of a union access to our services.

Will Storage

Keeping Your Will Safe

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Storing your will with Union Wills

Here at Union Wills, our services go beyond simply writing wills. We understand the importance of storing your will in a safe place and being able to make amendments if your circumstances should change, for any reason. 

As well as writing accurate wills for our clients, we can also help you store your will within a professional storage facility, where you are able to update it as and when required and a record is kept of all amendments made.

In order for your executor to initiate the will and share your estate in line with your wishes, it’s crucial that you store your will in a safe, accessible location. For as long as you are a union member, we will provide this service to you for free, with a secure storage facility where you are able to keep your will until it is needed.  

 

What to do with your original will

It’s all too easy to take your will and leave it in the attic to gather dust amongst old documents, where it could easily be misplaced or lost. 

We therefore recommend that you store your original will at a storage facility, like the ones provided by our partners, as it is kept safe and your executor is able to access it when the time comes. 

If you want to keep your will secure, simply get in touch today and we will organise the safe storage of your will. With our help, you will have access to: 

  • A professional storage facility to hold your will
  • A facility that is also accessible to your nominated executors
  • A record of when you access the will
  • A record of the changes you make

 

What happens if I lose my original will?

If your will is lost or cannot be found when you pass away, your wishes remain unknown and the estate is either distributed among family members in line with Intestacy Rules (which may not reflect your wishes), or could even go to the Crown.

Without a will, your estate could be considered ownerless property and will be passed on to the Crown, meaning that it will not benefit any of your loved ones. 

To avoid it falling in the hands of the Crown, rather than your friends or family, it’s important that it is stored safely within a facility where it is monitored and the risk of damage or loss is absolutely minimal.  

 

Where should you AVOID keeping your will?

You should avoid keeping your will in a bank safety deposit box, as the bank is unable to open it when someone passes away until the executor has been granted probate (permission from the court to administer the affairs of the deceased), and probate cannot be granted without the will. Basically, there is essentially no use in keeping your will in a safety deposit box as there is no way of anyone accessing it when you pass away. 

You should also try to avoid keeping it at home, where documents can easily be mixed up, lost or even damaged. 

We recommend storing your will with us so that your executor can access it easily when you pass away. All you need to do is let your executor know (in writing) that your will is being stored with us on your behalf. 

 

Updating a will in the UK

Your personal situation and family life is constantly evolving throughout your lifetime, which means that the preferences and wishes within your will are also bound to change.

It’s understandable that you may want to make changes to your will every so often, and it’s actually very unlikely that you will write just one draft of your will without updating it on at least one occasion. 

It’s important that you update your will if your circumstances change, for example, if you: 

All of the above would inevitably influence how you would like your estate to be distributed if you were to pass away, which is why it’s important to update your will as and when you feel it is necessary. 

How often you amend or update your will depends on your personal situation and each case varies, but we always recommend that our clients do so every five years and following any major milestone or change in their life.

When it’s relevant to do so, changing your will ensures that you are providing an accurate, up-to-date representation of your wishes. 

When you review your will, ask yourself whether or not you feel that it reflects your current wishes and situation; if it doesn’t, you may need to make amendments.

In order to update your will, all you have to do is contact us using our freephone number, or simply complete our contact form and we will be in touch at a time that suits you. You then let us know the nature of the changes you wish to make, and we will guide you through the process – it’s as straightforward as that.

Alterations to any will must be signed and witnessed, of course, but that can be easily arranged.

 

Store your will today 

Whether you need to store your will or make changes to it Union Wills is on hand to help. We offer free storage for union members and able to make updates in line with confirmed requests.