Register your will for free in May

Testators with UK wills are urged to register their will with The National Will Register for free this month as part of their Free Will Registration Month. Here’s what you need to know.

Register Will UK

What is The National Will Register?

The National Will Register is the UK’s will registration and will search service with over 9.4 million wills in the system, making it easier for the people entitled to see a copy of your will to locate the latest will when you die.

The National Will Register does not see or store a copy of your will. Instead, it states the location of where your will is stored.

Searches on The National Will Register are most often conducted by family and friends, many of whom are executors (the persons named in the will to administer the estate) or beneficiaries (the persons who will inherit).

Registering a will is secure and confidential. Only the location of a will is linked to the testator(s) (the person(s) making the will) and this information will only be granted by the holder of the will (usually a solicitor or will writer) when identity checks have been completed and death certificates have been presented.

How can you register your will for free?

Between 3 May 2022 and 3 June 2022, The National Will Register is offering will registration for free.

To can register your will, simply head to The National Will Register website and use the code FREEWILLREG22, or contact the solicitor or will writer who holds your will.

The process takes just a few minutes and all you need to provide is your basic details and the location of where the original will is safely stored. This ensures that if your will is lost, misplaced or forgotten over time, it can be found instantly.

See also

Where should I store my will?

How to store a will with HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS)

How to write a will

The duties of an executor: what to do when someone dies

Find out more

Free Will Registration Month (The National Will Register)

Image: Getty Images

Publication date: 4 May 2022

Any opinion expressed in this article is that of the author and the author alone, and does not necessarily represent that of The Gazette.