When you can't find a will
Named as executor: how to find the 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.
If you have been named executor, your first job is to locate the original will. Check the person's home and papers, their solicitor, their bank, and the National Will Register. If a grant of probate has already been issued, the will is public and searchable in the probate records, where a copy costs £16.
Where to look
- The person's home: with important papers, in a safe, or a fireproof box.
- Their solicitor, if they used one to make the will.
- Their bank, which may hold the will in safe custody.
- The National Will Register, which records where many wills are stored.
Already granted?
If a co-executor or someone else has already obtained probate, the will is public. Search the probate records to find and order a copy.
If you have searched everywhere and still cannot find the will, see how to trace a missing will.
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
What is an executor's first job?+
Locating the original will and confirming its contents. Check the home, the solicitor, the bank and the National Will Register. If probate has already been granted, the will is public and can be ordered for £16.