Those with a Will in the UK are urged to register their Will with The National Will Register for free in May as part of their Free Will Registration Month.
The campaign aims to highlight not only the importance of making a Will, but also registering a Will so that it can be located quickly and easily, and the wishes expressed be respected by loved ones.
With over 9.4 million Wills in the system, The National Will Register is the UK’s Will registration and Will Search service, ensuring that no Will is left unknown or untraced at the time it is needed.
The importance of registering a Will
According to data from The National Will Register, around two-thirds of people would not know where to find their parent’s Will. Writing a Will and regularly reviewing it is one of the most important things that can be done to protect an estate and loved ones and therefore, ensuring that it can be found upon death is essential.
Registering a Will is secure and confidential. Only the location of a Will is linked to the testator and disclosure of that is only granted by the holder of the Will, usually a solicitor or Will writer, upon the completion of identity checks and presentation of a death certificate. Certainty Will Searches are most often conducted by family and friends, many of whom find they are executors to the estate or beneficiaries.
Karan Liddar, Operations Director at The National Will Register, spoke about the impact that registering Wills has had in recovering Wills thought to have been lost or their existence unknown: “Through our Certainty Will Search services, around one in five found Wills are either Wills previously unknown to the family, or superseding the ones they knew the location of.”
“By registering a Will, you’re ensuring that your Will can be located and wishes can be adhered to at the right time by the right people. Free Will Registration Month helps to support this and we hope that everyone who has a Will or is considering making a Will takes advantage to protect their future wishes.”
“Everyone knows the importance of making a Will. Registering that Will is just as important. After all, a Will that is written but not found nor administered, may as well have not been written, and that is something we seek to avoid.”
Register your Will for free
Free Will Registration Month runs between May 3rd, 2022 and June 3rd, 2022.
You can register your Will for free by logging on to our website at www.nationalwillregister.co.uk/freewillregmonth and use the code FREEWILLREG22, or by contacting the solicitor or will writer who holds your Will.
It takes just 60 seconds, your basic details and the location of where the original Will is safely stored to ensure that if your Will is lost, misplaced or forgotten over the passage of time, it can be found instantly. The National Will Register does not see or store a copy of your Will, only its location is tagged.