If your original Scottish Will cannot be found when it is needed i.e. on your death, then being unable to find your Will is the same as dying “intestate”. You will have no control over how your estate is distributed, the State makes those decisions for you. Effectively all of your time, effort and cost has been wasted if the original Will cannot be located.
It is advisable to make copies of your Will for your own records however there is only one valid Will, that being the original Will itself. No matter how many copies are made, they cannot be used as a legal document to distribute your estate.
You may decide to keep your original Will at home. If you do so make sure that it is clearly labelled and that you make your executors know where you have stored it. That said, it is not generally a good idea to keep the original Will at home. Risk of damage, theft or destruction, fire or flood and even forgetfulness will result in your situation being classed if you had not written a Will at all.
It is for the reason’s stated above that it is vitally important that your original Scottish Will is securely stored in a storage facility that is both fire and flood proof and allows you or your executor’s access to your Will when required.
With all of this in mind, we are able to offer you a competitive aftercare package. For a minimal annual fee, at a cost of less than 10 pence per day, we will store your original Will and offer you a whole of life, flood and fireproof secure storage facility. We will provide you with:
- a fully bound copy of the Will itself.
- a personalised certificate for your own records to keep with your other household documentation.
- a personalised Will Storage/ID card for your wallet or purse for both you and each of your executors to access your original Will when required, this lets your executors know where your Will is stored and they can easily get access to it upon your death.
- enjoy the benefits of a Will update and health-check service.
It is important that your will reflects your current circumstances and is therefore kept up to date. Such changes can be:
- If you get married, divorced or separated
- Birth of a child or grandchild
- Change in property values, addresses or item bequests
- Choice of Guardians for your children now no longer acceptable
- Take control and manage your estate in order to avoid the Local Authority taking/selling your home to pay for your/family nursing care
- Family disputes
This is a non-exhaustive list that whilst may not invalidate the Will may cause issues or leave someone whom you wish to benefit left out of your Will
You have written your Scottish Will and should be congratulated for doing so. However for added peace of mind you should take advantage of our secure bonded document storage service. This can include not just your original Scottish Will but other important documents such as Title Deeds etc., thereby ensuring all of your important documents are kept safe and are kept in one place.
At a highly emotional and distressing time for the loved ones you leave behind, you want your wishes regarding the distribution of your estate to be carried out. No original valid Scottish Will equals intestacy, which means the Law and therefore the State will distribute your estate for you, which we guarantee will not be the same as your wishes were. Do not take the risk of your original will going missing, it’s not worth it.
To receive qualified and ethical advice in relation to any aspect of your Scottish Will-Writing and Estate Planning requirements, please visit our contact page.