How to Find Out If Someone Has a Will in the UK

To find out if someone has a will in the UK, start by asking family members and checking the deceased's home for paperwork. Then contact their solicitor or will writer, search the National Will Register, and — once they have passed away and probate has been applied for — search the government's probate records online. Each step takes you closer to an answer, and no single route guarantees success on its own. Here is exactly what to do and in what order.

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Before You Start: Who Can Search for a Will?

While a person is still alive, only they can confirm whether a will exists — or, in some circumstances, the person they appointed as their executor. After death, the search opens up. Any family member, potential beneficiary, or creditor can carry out most of the checks described here. Wills become public documents once probate is granted, so at that point anyone at all can view or request a copy.

The process is different depending on whether the person is still living or has recently died. Both scenarios are covered below.

Step 1 — Ask Family Members and Close Friends

This sounds obvious, but it is often the fastest route to an answer. The person may have mentioned their will to a spouse, sibling, adult child, or close friend. They may have told a family member where it is stored, or who their executor is. Start here before spending time or money on formal searches.

If someone is approaching the end of life and you need to locate their will while they can still help, ask them directly — or ask whether they have appointed an executor who would know.

Step 2 — Search Their Home and Personal Papers

Most people keep their original will at home — in a filing cabinet, a dedicated document folder, a fireproof safe, or with important paperwork such as deeds and insurance policies. Look thoroughly. As well as the will itself, look for:

• A Certainty Will Registration Certificate — this means the will is registered on the National Will Register and can be found there
• A solicitor's business card, receipt, or letter referencing a will or estate planning appointment
• A will-writing service invoice or correspondence
• Any document labelled “Last Will and Testament”

If the person has died and you are the executor named in the will (or a family member with legitimate access to the home), searching their personal papers is normally the right first step.

Step 3 — Contact Their Solicitor or Will Writer

Many people use a solicitor or specialist will-writing service to draft their will, and the professional often keeps the original in storage on their behalf. If you find any correspondence from a law firm or will writer among the deceased's papers, contact them — they will be able to confirm whether they hold a will, and release it to the executor or next of kin once they have seen proof of death.

If you do not know which solicitor was used, check old bank statements for payments to a law firm, or ask other family members whether they recall the deceased mentioning a particular solicitor for any reason.

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Step 4 — Check With Their Bank

Banks sometimes hold important documents for customers, including wills, in a secure envelope alongside their account records. This practice is less common now than it once was, but it is still worth asking — particularly for older accounts.

If the person has died, contact their bank with a certified copy of the death certificate and proof of your own identity. As next of kin or executor, you can ask whether the bank holds any sealed envelopes or documents on the customer's behalf. The bank cannot tell you the contents, but it can confirm whether something is being held and release it to the appropriate person.

Step 5 — Search the National Will Register

The National Will Register(run by Certainty) is the UK's largest will registration database, holding records of over 10 million wills. Solicitors, will writers, and individuals can register a will here so that it can be found after death.

Searching the register costs £93 for a standard search, which includes a check against the National Will Register database, a search of solicitors' storage records, and a check with the Institute of Professional Willwriters. The search is available at nationalwillregister.co.uk. Results typically come back within a few working days.

Registration is voluntary — not every will is on there. But it is one of the most comprehensive single searches available, and worth doing before assuming no will exists.

Step 6 — Search Probate Records Online

Once someone has died and probate has been applied for and granted, the will becomes a public document. You can search the government's probate records at probatesearch.service.gov.uk — the search is free, and anyone can use it without proving any relationship to the deceased.

If a grant of probate has been issued, the search will show the name of the executor and the date probate was granted. You can then order a copy of the will for £1.50. This route only works after probate has been granted — if the death is recent, you may need to wait several months for the application to be processed.

If the death is recent but you believe probate is imminent, you can apply for a standing search(currently £3 by post using form PA1S). This means the Probate Registry will automatically notify you when a grant is issued for that person's estate. Standing searches remain active for 6 months and can be renewed.

What About Professional Will-Search Services?

Several companies offer to conduct a comprehensive will search on your behalf — contacting solicitors, will writers, banks, and the National Will Register in a single coordinated search. These services typically cost between £100 and £300 and are useful if you want a thorough audit without handling each step yourself.

They are particularly helpful where the estate is large, where the deceased had multiple relationships or advisers, or where the family suspects a will exists but has had no luck with the standard steps. Bear in mind they cannot access documents that have not been registered anywhere — a will kept privately at home with no record of its existence can still be missed.

Does It Work the Same in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

Not quite. In Scotland, wills are registered with the Books of Council and Session (also called the Register of Deeds), held at the National Records of Scotland. You can search online at scotlandspeople.gov.uk. Probate in Scotland is called “confirmation,” and confirmed wills become public once the sheriff court has granted it.

In Northern Ireland, probate records are held by the Probate and Matrimonial Office at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast. You can contact them directly to search for a grant of probate or request a copy of a will.

The National Will Register covers the whole UK, so a search there is valid regardless of where the person lived.

What Happens If No Will Can Be Found?

If you have exhausted every option and still cannot find a will, the estate is treated as though the person died intestate — without a valid will. The intestacy rules then determine who inherits, working through a fixed hierarchy: spouse or civil partner first, then children, then extended family, and finally the Crown.

Unmarried partners, stepchildren who were not adopted, and close friends receive nothing under intestacy regardless of how long or close the relationship was. This is one of the strongest arguments for making a will — and for making sure the people you trust know where to find it.

If the deceased had no qualifying relatives, their estate passes to the Crown as bona vacantiaand is added to the Government's unclaimed estates list. Distant relatives — including cousins, half-siblings, and great-nieces and nephews — can still make a claim for up to 30 years. Use the intestacy entitlement checker to see whether you might qualify, then search the Bona Vacantia list on FindMyLegacy — free, with phonetic matching that catches spelling variations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are wills public record in the UK?

Yes — but only after probate has been granted. Once the Probate Registry issues a grant, the will becomes a public document. Anyone can order a copy for £1.50 from probatesearch.service.gov.uk, with no need to prove any relationship to the deceased. Before probate is granted, the will is private.

How do I find out if I am a beneficiary of someone's will?

The executor is legally required to notify named beneficiaries once probate is granted. If you believe you may be a beneficiary and have not been contacted, you can search the probate records yourself (probatesearch.service.gov.uk) and order a copy of the will. If probate has not yet been granted, a standing search alerts you when it is.

Can I search for a will before someone has died?

The National Will Register allows searches while a person is alive, but the results are only released to the testator (the person who made the will) or their solicitor during their lifetime. After death, results are released to the executor or next of kin. You cannot access probate records before someone has died, as no probate will have been applied for.

How long does it take to find out if someone has a will?

Checking with family and searching the home can take an afternoon. A National Will Register search takes a few working days. Probate records are available online once probate is granted, which can take several months after a death — sometimes longer for complex estates.

How much does it cost to search for a will?

The government probate search (probatesearch.service.gov.uk) is free. Ordering a copy of a will costs £1.50. A National Will Register search costs £93 via Certainty. Professional will-search companies charge between £100 and £300. Our Will Search Concierge covers the Probate Registry and The Gazette for £29 — see /find-a-will.

What if the will cannot be found anywhere?

If no will turns up after exhausting every search, the estate is administered under the intestacy rules. The order of inheritance runs from spouse or civil partner down through children, parents, siblings, and extended family. If no relatives qualify, the estate passes to the Crown as bona vacantia. Distant relatives have up to 30 years to claim — start by searching the unclaimed estates list at FindMyLegacy.