How To Find A Will If Someone Has Died

How To Find Out If Someone Had A Will

What happens if a loved one dies and you don’t know where their will is?

They may have written their will many years ago. But what happens if the solicitor who helped them draft that will is no longer practising? What if their law firm has been taken over?

Coles Miller’s wills solicitors may be able to help you.

Wills Stored With Coles Miller Solicitors

Law firms are governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). So if a firm ceases to trade or merges with another firm, all its stored wills will be transferred to another regulated firm.

This ensures that your will – and those of your loved ones – remain secure. Find out more here about how we store clients’ wills securely for free.

Coles Miller is a long-established Dorset law firm that has acquired the business of a number of solicitors over the years. They include:

JW Miller, which had offices in Broadstone and Poole. This merger took place in 1989.
Sole practitioner Ronald Oxley, who was based in Wimborne.
Mills Bushnell in Charminster (this firm had previously taken over Steven Wilkes and Co). This merger was in 1992.
Derek T Wilkinson & Co, giving Coles Miller its West Cliff, Bournemouth office, in 2007.

So if the will you need was drafted by lawyers at any of these firms, it is now stored safely with Coles Miller and we will be happy to help you with probating the will.

What If The Will Were Stored Somewhere Else?

The person who made the will is called the testator. If they have died without telling you where the will is, the first step is to search through all their belongings.

If they were an organised person, it will probably be filed away in a safe place. If not, it could be anywhere in a jumble of papers, documents and other possessions.

Failing that, contact the deceased’s solicitor. If you don’t know who that is, and if it’s not listed in any of their documents, the paperwork may still provide clues.

The bank is an obvious place to start – but this is not as simple as it sounds. If the will were stored in a safe deposit box, the bank needs to see a deed of probate before they will open it. And you can’t get probate without a will. It’s an unfortunate dilemma.

Perhaps other professionals – such as estate agents, mortgage brokers or independent financial advisers – acted for the deceased in the years before they died. Their paperwork may provide clues as to which firm of solicitors the deceased generally used.

There are also various will registries. The National Will Register (and Certainty Will Search service) is the one preferred by the Law Society, the independent professional body for solicitors in England and Wales. The register contains more than 10 million wills. It is used by thousands of solicitors every day. Contact us for help with will searches.

What If I Can’t Find the Will?

If the will cannot be found, it is considered lost, and the estate will be dealt with as if the deceased died intestate (ie, without a will).

A will is not legally considered lost until a certain period of time has passed after the testator's death. In England and Wales, this is generally considered to be 10 years. Until this time has passed, a will can still be located and considered valid.

How We Can Help You

Coles Miller’s highly experienced wills and probate team includes solicitors accredited by:

The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) – a global professional body that helps families to plan for the future. Learn how a STEP solicitor can help you.
Solicitors for the Elderly – a select group of lawyers who specialise in helping older and vulnerable clients.
Dementia Friends – an Alzheimer’s Society programme that helps us to make the law easier to understand for people affected by dementia.

We can help you with making a will, probate, Inheritance Tax planning, powers of attorney, care home funding, Court of Protection matters, trusts and charities.

Contact our Wills and Probate solicitors for expert legal advice

For Anthony Weber, Partner:

“My husband and I used Anthony Weber at Coles Miller Broadstone to make our wills. He offered a very friendly, approachable service over two comprehensive meetings. We received a commentary alongside our draft wills which made the complex legal language easy to understand. We were able to make some changes at the second meeting and have the wills signed and witnessed then and there. I would highly recommend Mr Weber to all my friends and family."

For Jenny Oxly, Associate Solicitor:

“We recently contacted Coles Miller as our wills needed to be reviewed. As a result we received a home visit from Jenny Oxley who discussed our options and provided us with the wills that were best suited to our needs. The process was completed in a most professional manner and on this basis I would have no hesitation in recommending Coles Miller.”

For Ricky Langlois, Solicitor:

“Ricky Langlois was very easy to talk to. He was patient, clear on his explanation and advice, good interpersonal skills. Ricky did not give me any indication that he was in a hurry and took his time in giving me options and explaining issues to me. He made it clear what would be happening next. If I was not retired from my job, I would give him a job! I would also like to mention that the reception staff were very courteous.”

For Kerry Hay, Solicitor:

“I have been introduced to an amazing young solicitor, Kerry Hay, who has skilfully and patiently helped me step-by-step to arrange my final will and power of attorney so that I am totally confident that when my time comes, my son will have absolutely no problems handling my affairs through Coles Miller, Poole.”

For Julie Morgan, Trainee Legal Executive:

"Many, many thanks for your friendly, highly professional and super efficient service 👍

For Shadi Meehan, Trainee Legal Executive:

"I would like to thank you for providing an excellent service in dealing with the updating of our wills and associated trust. We have dealt with Cole Miller on various occasions since 1984 when our local business purchase was dealt with by Ms Myrtle Eburne. Since then Coles Miller has dealt with our various house purchases and, latterly, dealing with our wills and trust. The most recent occasion was when Shadi Meehan took us through the updating of those will and trust. She was understanding of our needs and requirements and the whole matter was completed efficiently and effectively within a couple of weeks so thanks must go to Shadi. We both like the idea that you store our wills and we have advised our family of this. We shall, of course, use Coles Miller for any future business".

For Emma Stagg, Trainee Legal Executive:

"My husband and I wanted to update our wills. Emma was very helpful and accommodating. She explained everything very clearly and inspired confidence. I would definitely recommend Coles Miller to others and would use them again".