When you can't find a will
How to trace a missing 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 trace a missing will, check the person's home and papers, ask their solicitor and bank, and search the National Will Register. If probate has already been granted, the will is public and you can order a copy for £16. If it has not, and the death was recent, a standing search will capture the grant when it is issued.
Search the home thoroughly
Important papers, a safe, a fireproof box, or with other legal documents.
Contact their solicitor and bank
Either may hold the original will in safe custody.
Search the National Will Register
It records where many wills are stored, even when the family does not know.
Check the probate records
If a grant has already been issued, the will is public. Search by name and year and order a copy for £16.
No grant yet? Lodge a standing search
A standing search (£4) delivers the documents automatically if a grant is issued within six months.
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 a lost will?+
Check the home, the solicitor, the bank and the National Will Register. If probate has been granted, the will is public and can be ordered for £16. If not, a standing search will capture a future grant.
What is the National Will Register?+
A register that records where wills are stored. Searching it can locate a will the family did not know about, though it is separate from the public probate records that show granted wills.