Where Should I Keep My Will?

Having a will is something that all of us should set out to establish. In the event of your death, your wishes for your family, friends, and loved ones are written down and given to them, thus informing everyone of your wishes. But in the meantime, you need to make sure your will is safe and secure. However, it’s not always easy knowing where or how to store your will in a safe place. If you’re finding it difficult to figure out where to best keep your will, here are some tips on what to do and more.

It’s actually rather shocking how many people don’t have a will. In the event that you die without a will, your estate goes through probate court. This can be a long process that ultimately ends with your assets going to places or people you never intended. In order to make sure that your family doesn’t have to deal with this headache, it’s best to prepare your will as soon as possible.

Additionally, if you make any major changes in your life (marriage, divorce, etc.), you’ll need to update your will accordingly. But in doing so, you can rest easy knowing that your assets go to your loved ones according to your wishes.

There are actually many safe places you can store your will. Below, you will find the most common storage places people use to keep their wills safe and secure.

You can store your will in a bank safety deposit box, but there is a condition that you should ensure is met. And that condition is allowing someone you trust to also have access to the safety deposit box. Why is this necessary? In short, if you pass away and no one but you has access to the safety deposit box, it’s very unlikely that your bank will turn over the box to anyone else without a court order. 

So if your beneficiaries need to access the safety deposit box to retrieve your will after you pass away, they won’t be able to right away. In fact, they will probably have to wait a while before the contents of the safety deposit box are released to them.

Fortunately, you can avoid this potential pitfall by giving a trusted friend or family member joint access. It’s quick, painless, and ensures that there aren’t any problems getting your will later on down the road. 

After meeting with your wills lawyer and setting up your will, you might want to consider leaving it with them for safe-keeping. Many clients choose to do this because it ensures the will is safe and secure. If you decide to go this route, you need to make sure you inform your family where your will is located.

That way, your loved ones will know whom to contact in the event that you pass away, and they need to access your will. By keeping your will with your wills lawyer, you can trust that no one else will ever access it without your consent.

Many people are perfectly fine with keeping their wills in a personal safe at home. If you choose to follow suit, just make sure the safe you’re keeping it in has a secure lock and can’t easily be hauled off. Unfortunately, many personal safes sold at retail stores are cheap, flimsy, and easy to defeat. So if you use a small home safe, do your homework and invest in one that works well at keeping criminals out.

You can also put your will in a fireproof container and store it at your office or another place. Just be sure it’s a place you feel safe to keep your will locked up. It’s best to store it away from people who may find it if they were to break into your home or office.

There are those who take extreme steps to secure their wills. There are also those who are content with sticking their wills in a filing cabinet and calling it a day. Wherever you choose to keep your will, make sure it’s somewhere you will remember. As long as you are confident with where you put your will, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it when you need it.

Whether you need expert assistance with your will or estate planning , you can count on Doane & Doane to provide you with an experienced wills lawyer. At Doane & Doane, we are happy to assist you with all of your estate planning needs. So if you’re ready to  schedule a consultation, we invite you to contact us at 561-656-0200 . Alternatively, you can always fill out our contact form  to get started.

The information in this blog post is for reference only and not legal advice. As such, you should not decide whether to contact a lawyer based on the information in this blog post. Moreover, there is no lawyer-client relationship resulting from this blog post, nor should any such relationship be implied. If you need legal counsel, please consult a lawyer licensed to practice in your jurisdiction.