This highlights the importance of making sure that your family know where your original will is held. At the very least, I always advise clients to keep a copy of their will with their other financial papers so that it can be found post death.
STEP's Technical Counsel, Emily Deane TEP, said, 'This is a disappointing and concerning story which raises an important issue. We would advise people against storing a will in a bank safety deposit box because it may not be accessible to the executor until they get probate and this cannot be granted without a will. If someone has an existing will stored in this way, we would recommend moving it elsewhere to ensure it is accessible and its whereabouts is known to their executor(s) in the event of your death.'
https://www.step.org/news/banks-belated-discovery-stored-wills-could-trigger-estate-disputes
