How to Locate a Will in the UK — A Step-by-Step Guide

Someone you care about has died. You need to know if they left a will — and where it is. Not sure if a will was even made? Start with our guide on how to find out if someone has a will first. Once you know one exists, this guide takes up from there. It rarely is straightforward. Wills end up in desk drawers, with solicitors who moved premises years ago, registered on databases nobody knew existed, or tucked inside a folder labelled “Important Documents” somewhere in a loft. This guide takes you through every place to look, in the right order — from the bedside cabinet to the official Probate Registry.

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Why locating the will matters

A will determines who inherits — and, critically, who has the legal authority to administer the estate. Without it, the estate is distributed under the Rules of Intestacy, which follow a fixed legal hierarchy and may not reflect the deceased's actual wishes. The Rules do not recognise unmarried partners or step-children who were not legally adopted, regardless of how long or close the relationship was.

Finding the will also identifies the executor— the person named to apply for the grant of probate and carry out the deceased's instructions. Without knowing the will exists, someone else may apply for letters of administration instead, setting the estate off on the wrong legal footing entirely. That is a mess worth avoiding.

Step 1 — Search the home

Start here. Most wills in the UK are kept at home, often alongside other important documents. Check:

• Document wallets, lever-arch files, or fireproof boxes
• Filing cabinets and desk drawers — look for anything labelled “Legal” or “Important”
• Wardrobes, bedside drawers, and under-bed storage
• Any safe or lockbox on the property
• Email inboxes and cloud storage accounts if the deceased used digital services

Also look for a Certificate of Deposit. This is a receipt issued when someone lodges a will with the Principal Probate Registry for safekeeping. If you find one, you can use Form PA7A to withdraw the will.

Step 2 — Ask family members and trusted contacts

Other relatives, close friends, or carers may know where the will was kept or who drew it up. Ask whether the deceased ever mentioned making a will, named an executor, or talked about using a particular solicitor or will-writing service. People who helped with financial or legal paperwork — accountants, financial advisers — may also have useful information.

It is worth checking bank statements and correspondence too. A payment to a law firm or will-writing service, even several years ago, is a lead worth following.

Step 3 — Contact any solicitors or will writers

Most wills in England and Wales are drafted by solicitors, who typically store the original (often for free) on behalf of their clients. If you can identify the firm the deceased used, contact them directly. They will ask for proof of death and confirmation of your relationship.

If you cannot identify a specific firm, try the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)at sra.org.uk — they hold a database of regulated solicitors and can help trace former firms that have merged or closed. The Law Society also maintains a database of deceased solicitors' practices.

Step 4 — Check with the deceased's bank

Some people lodge their will with their bank for safekeeping. Contact the deceased's bank directly and ask whether they hold a will. You will need to provide a death certificate and, depending on the bank, proof of your identity and relationship to the deceased. Not all banks offer this service, but it is worth checking if home and solicitor searches draw a blank.

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Step 5 — Search the National Will Register

The National Will Register(operated by Certainty) is the UK's largest database of registered wills. It also performs a targeted geographical search of solicitors and will writers in the area where the deceased lived, covering wills that were never formally registered. This combined search finds around one in five wills that were presumed missing.

A search costs approximately £38. You do not need to be the executor or a relative to request a search. FindMyLegacy's Will Search Concierge searches the National Will Register, the Probate Registry, and The Gazette on your behalf for £29, returning a written report within five working days.

Step 6 — Search the official Probate Registry

Once probate is granted, a will becomes a public document. Anyone can search the Probate Registry at probatesearch.service.gov.uk for grants issued in England and Wales from 1858 onwards. The search is free, and you can order a copy of the will and grant for £1.50.

This route only works if probate has already been granted. If the deceased died very recently, or if the estate is being administered without a grant (which is possible for smaller estates), there may be nothing in the Probate Registry yet. In that case, use the National Will Register search to check whether a will is registered but not yet proved.

Not sure whether a will was made? Our Will Search Concierge searches the Probate Registry and The Gazette for £29 — Find out more →

What to do when you find the will

Finding the will is the first victory. Before relying on it, check its validity. A valid will under English law must:

• Be in writing and signed by the person making it (the testator)
• Be signed in the presence of two independent witnesses, who must also sign
• Have been made by someone aged 18 or over with full mental capacity

Check the date — the most recent valid will takes precedence over earlier versions. Look for any codicils (amendments) attached to the back. If you have any concerns about the will's validity — unclear signatures, unusual circumstances around its creation, or signs of undue pressure — take advice from a probate solicitor before proceeding.

Once you are satisfied the will is valid, notify the named executor (if that is not you), and contact a probate solicitor or use the government's own probate service to begin the process of applying for the grant of representation.

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What if no will can be found?

If you have worked through all of the above steps and found nothing, the estate is most likely intestate — distributed as if no will exists. The Rules of Intestacy determine who inherits. The legal hierarchy runs from spouse or civil partner, down through children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, and more distant relatives. Each tier only inherits if no one in the tier above them survives.

Where no qualifying relative comes forward, the estate passes to the Crown as bona vacantia — literally, ownerless goods. In England and Wales, the Government Legal Department publishes these estates on a public register. Relatives who come forward later can still claim for up to 30 years from the date of death.

If you suspect a relative died intestate and you may be entitled to their estate, the first step is to check whether it appears on the Bona Vacantia list. The FindMyLegacy search tool gives you free phonetic-matched access to the full list — so a search for “Thomson” will also find “Thompson” and “Tomson.” You can also set up a watchlist to receive email alerts when a new matching estate is added.

Not sure whether you are entitled to claim? Use the FindMyLegacy entitlement checker to see where you sit in the intestacy hierarchy for a given estate.

Frequently asked questions

Are wills public record in the UK?

A will becomes a public document once probate is granted. Before that point, it is private. You can search probatesearch.service.gov.uk for any grant issued in England and Wales since 1858 and order a copy of the will for £1.50. Wills that have not yet been through probate — or where probate was never required — are not publicly accessible.

How do you find out if someone has a will?

The most reliable route is to search the National Will Register (certainty.co.uk), which covers registered wills and performs a geographical search of local solicitors. Combined with the Probate Registry search, these two resources cover the vast majority of wills made in England and Wales.

Can I search for a will online for free?

You can search the Probate Registry at probatesearch.service.gov.uk for free, which covers wills proved since 1858. However, this only shows wills where probate has been granted. Our Will Search Concierge (£29) also checks The Gazette for estate activity. For wills that exist but have not yet been proved, the National Will Register (£93 via Certainty) is the most direct route.

What happens if I can't find a will?

If no will can be found after a thorough search, the estate is administered as intestate — distributed under the Rules of Intestacy. If no qualifying relative can be identified, the estate passes to the Crown and is published on the Bona Vacantia list. Relatives can still claim for up to 30 years from the date of death.

Who is responsible for finding and submitting a will?

The executor named in the will is responsible for locating it and beginning the probate process. If no executor is named, or the named executor is unable or unwilling to act, a close relative can apply to become the administrator of the estate through a grant of letters of administration.

How long does a will search take?

A home search is immediate. The Probate Registry search is instant online. The National Will Register typically returns results within a few days. Our Will Search Concierge at /find-a-will covers all three sources and delivers a written report within five working days.