Any family member can request a search for a Will by contacting us here. WillScan only releases your Will to you, your nominated Solicitor/Willwriter, or your executor, subject to them verifying their identity and providing a valid reason for needing to see the Will.
The UK does not yet mandate the electronic storage of Wills, however the EU recommends schemes for the registration of wills in interconnected national registers. The Citizens Advice Bureau and the Legal Services Consumer Panel have recommended an electronic database for all Wills.
There are many reasons listed here to keep a central electronic copy of your Will.
Only you and your Solicitor/Willwriter can see your Will. WillScan staff do not view individual Wills, other than for quality control purposes or when asked to provide a copy. Our systems automatically create an audit trail, recording the time and user details every time your Will is viewed.
All our customer data is held in secure datacentres in the UK. We will never store or send customer confidential information outside the UK, in line with our policies on secure storage.
Secure Will storage on WillScan costs from as little as 83 pence per month. View our price list.
Your uploaded Will cannot be altered. Changes to your Will or codicil should be validated by your Solicitor or Willwriter and a new signed copy uploaded to WillScan
No, once you are a WillScan member you are entitled to upload as many new Wills as you like with no additional charges
No. Stored Wills are tamper proof and once uploaded cannot be altered.
WillScan is an independent manager of the archive and central register, we do not provide Will writing services. To find a Solicitor or Willwriter near you please search here
The WillScan service is only available through registered Solicitors and approved professional Willwriters. We do this to ensure that any basic errors in drafting Wills can be identified before submission. Please contact us if you want us to recommend a Solicitor or Willwriter who can review your DIY Will and submit it for secure storage.
If you decide to change your Solicitor or Willwriter, please notify us here
If you write a new Will that revokes your previous Wills, then this is the one which should be submitted to probate, and any previous copy we hold is revoked, whether you tell us or not. We recommend that your latest Will is uploaded to WillScan as soon as possible after it is signed to avoid any possible confusion or disputes.
A copy of your Will is stored for as long as your WillScan membership is active.
We will send you reminders when your storage period is due for renewal. If we do not receive renewal instructions, your Will is moved from active to archived storage, and copies are no longer available to you.
Many Solicitors and professional Willwriters offer a physical Will storage service. If your Will copy is stored securely with WillScan, then you may decide that keeping the original at home is sufficient as you have an electronic backup.
Yes, we adhere to the Data Protection Act 1998, and you can contact us to request that we remove all electronic records we hold, including all Will copies.
Under section 20 Wills Act 1837 you can revoke your Will by "burning, tearing or otherwise destroying the same". To inform WillScan that you have revoked you Will, simply tell us using our online contact form.
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Company registered in England and Wales No. 07933669