How to find a will
How to find out if someone left a will
Written and reviewed by our experienced team. Last verified against gov.uk on 26 July 2026. ProbateCheck is an independent service, not a law firm.
To find out if someone left a will in England and Wales, search the probate records. A will becomes public once a grant of probate is issued, so enter the person's full name and year of death in the official index. Searching is free; a copy of the will costs £16. If probate has not been granted yet, lodge a £4 standing search.
Step by step
Search the probate index
Enter the full name and year of death. A will is only public once probate has been granted, so recent deaths may not appear yet.
Check the year of death and the year after
Records are filed under the year the grant was issued, so a late-year death is often indexed the following year. See the grant-year trap.
Try name variations
Maiden names, middle names and spellings all cause false blanks.
Order the will
When you find the record, a copy of the grant and the will costs £16 from GOV.UK.
No grant yet? Lodge a standing search
A standing search (£4, six months) delivers the documents automatically if a grant is issued.
If nothing shows up
An empty result usually means the grant year, a name variation, or that probate has not been granted, not that there is no will. See why a search finds nothing.
Let us do the whole search, £29 all in
We search every name variation across the correct index years, obtain the grant and the will, lodge a standing search if no grant exists yet, and explain it all in plain English. Government fees included.
Start with a free checkFrequently asked questions
How do I find out if someone left a will?+
Search the England and Wales probate records by name and year of death. Once probate is granted the will is public and you can order a copy for £16. Searching is free. If probate has not been granted yet, a £4 standing search will capture it.
Can I find out if I am in someone's will?+
Only once probate has been granted, when the will becomes public and you can read it. Before probate, only the executor and anyone they choose to tell can see the will.