By Legal Futures’ Associates Certainty National Will Register
Relocating to a different part of the country can cause real problems for families when their loved ones pass away. Trying to trace which firm of solicitors holds the deceased’s Will when they are based in an area that is unfamiliar to you, can seem a daunting task and without the Will, the deceased’s wishes cannot be carried out, often leaving families in a state of financial uncertainty.
Solicitors firms, like Beswicks Legal in Stoke-on-Trent, eliminate this problem by registering all Wills made with them with The National Will Register, giving clients immense peace of mind.
In the following case study, a woman whose father passed away, contacted The National Will Register when it became apparent that the family did not know where his Will was being held.
Claire Bellew, Private Wealth Co-ordinator, at Beswicks Legal, explained: “The man concerned had lived in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, when he instructed us to create his Will, however, eight years prior to his death, he had moved to Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, where his daughter also lived. Unfortunately, we had not been informed of his change of address. His family knew he had made a Will when living in Staffordshire but had no idea where the Will was being held or how to access it.”
“In an effort to track down the Will, the deceased’s daughter made contact with The National Will Register and conducted a Certainty Will Search. Because we had registered the Will with The National Will Register, they were able to contact me quickly and put me in touch with the deceased’s family.”
Claire added: “After receiving suitable ID and the death certificate from the daughter and her mother, who were co-executors of the Will, I was able to release the Will to them so that the estate could be administered. The family was extremely grateful for this and we were delighted to be able to help them.”
A Certainty Will Search provides reassurance that you have done everything that you can to try to locate a Will, while also ensuring access to the most up-to-date Will available if a client has made more than one in their lifetime.
For further information on the type of searches you can carry out, please contact The National Will Register on 0330 100 3660 or email enquiries@certainty.co.uk.
