Recently, a couple instructed me to make new Wills for them.
Like many people, they had made Wills previously, but family changes meant those Wills were out of date.
I was absolutely shocked to hear that they had paid nearly £2,000 up front for “lifetime Will storage”!
Whilst this is the highest figure I have seen for some time, many firms do charge clients to store their Wills—often unnecessarily.
Who Charges for Will Storage—And Why?
These charges are usually made by Will Writers rather than qualified Solicitors.
A Will is a few pages of A4 paper bound together. It takes up barely any space in a paper filing system, making you wonder: Should anyone really pay to store their Will?
At Monan Gozzett LLP, we do not charge to store Wills, Deeds, or Powers of Attorney. We believe it would be morally wrong to do so.
Why Some Firms Still Charge to Store Wills
If asked, firms that charge for Will storage usually cite reasons such as document safety or increasing storage costs.
However, as far as I can establish, the real reason is much simpler: it’s a convenient and profitable additional revenue stream for those firms.
The Long-Term Cost of Will Storage Fees
The average age to make a first Will is around 55.
The average UK life expectancy is about 80.
If a firm charges £30 per year to store your Will over 25 years, that’s £750 in storage fees—on top of what you already paid for the Will itself. For couples, that could total £1,500, often paid unnecessarily.
The Risks of Paying Non-Solicitor Firms to Store Wills
If you read my previous article (Storing A Will: Why It Matters Where It's Kept),you'll know that non-Solicitor Will Writers are not legally obliged to contact clients if they go bust.
One example involved a company in Chichester, which entered liquidation in 2024.
The Insolvency Service informed clients:
“It is likely that any documents you had with the company are now irrecoverable and are lost.”
By contrast, if a firm of Solicitors goes into liquidation, there is a regulatory process to ensure that your Wills and other original documents are kept safe.
Paying a non-Solicitor firm to store your Will—when there’s a real risk the document could be lost—feels like the worst of all worlds.
What Should You Do If You Are Paying to Store Your Will?
If you’re currently paying to store your Will, you might want to consider your options.
At Monan Gozzett LLP, we are happy to store your Will free of charge.
We can also arrange the transfer of your Will from another provider, and we do not charge for that either.
All we need to begin the process is:
- Your full name
- Telephone number
- Home address
- Name of the firm currently storing your Will
If you would like to transfer your Will to Monan Gozzett LLP for secure and free storage, please call me on 01903 927055 or email ssampson@monangozzett.com.
You can find out more about our will writing services.
Please note that we are unable to offer free legal advice. Our client services team are here to take your case details and explain any costs involved
If you would like to speak to our expert legal team about this, or any related subject then please contact our team by phone on 0207 936 6329, Email or by completing our Quick Contact Form below.
Please note that we are unable to offer free legal advice. Our client services team are here to take your case details and explain any costs involved