Paper Wills are here to stay: Ministry of Justice backs their preservation

During recent consultations about modernising Will writing in the UK, one of the proposals presented involved the idea of destroying existing written Wills to be replaced by new digital versions.

This idea has been rejected, however, allowing Will writing solicitors in North Wales to continue storing these original paper documents.

Some of the reasons why it was proposed to destroy written Wills included the expense of storing them securely, and the possibility of the Wills being accidentally destroyed or stolen. However, the Ministry of Justice has decreed that it is important to keep the Wills – partly due to the strong reaction stirred by the public in favour of keeping them.

It has been acknowledged that paper Wills contain historical significance – and for families, they often represent their heritage. Wills and Probate solicitors in North Wales also point out that when digitising older Wills, there is room for error, so keeping the original paperwork is a crucial way of preserving the wishes of the testator.

It has also been pointed out by many legal experts that family disputes could be avoided when original Wills are retained and can be examined closely for forgeries and unwarranted changes, as well as errors during the writing stage. However, work on how the paper Wills can continue to be stored safely is still ongoing.

To book an appointment to see one of our experts in Will writing here at Bennett Smith Solicitors, get in touch with the team today.