Your will is written, but now needs to be securely stored until the time comes when it is needed. All the hard work to protect your estate and inheritance will be worthless if those who you wish to inherit encounter delays or if they cannot locate the will.
By making sure your documents are secure but accessible only to those who will need them, the grief and hassle that comes with death is diminished for your loved ones. We have a reliable and secure access-controlled storage facility to hold any of your important documents in one place so you can rest easy knowing that your loved ones will be able to access them, and they can be retrieved from secure storage at any time.
Client Mrs H meticulously planned her will and organised her estate upon her retirement. She drafted and put her will in place in order to allow her loved ones to benefit from her substantial estate upon her death, whilst specifically excluding one relative from the will to whom she did not want to pass any inheritance to due to a long-standing feud, (which anyone is entitled to do so). Mrs H declined the service of will and document secure storage, and instead decided to keep her original and only will in a small petty cash box at home.
Shortly before her expected death, an acquaintance of Mrs H became closer and Mrs H saw her as a good friend. Upon her death, Mrs H’s loved ones contacted to notify us that they could not locate her will. We then had to reluctantly explain that Mrs H chose not to pay the small annual charge for her will to be kept safe and secure, and the copy that we held does not count as a ‘valid’ will.
A very long process ensued, which resulted in the discovery that the friend who had become increasingly close to Mrs H’s in her later life had located the original will, and destroyed it upon discovery that they were bequeathed and gifted nothing by Mrs H. (Note: your will can only be validly destroyed if you do it or someone does it at your direction, but various factors come into play concerning will destruction).
By no valid will able to be located, the rules of intestacy came into force, and Mrs H’s entire estate legally got passed down the bloodline and to the one person she specifically excluded from her will in the first place, and the individuals and charities in fact named in her will lost out on substantial donations from Mrs H’s legacy.
The above scenario is one of the more extreme cases we have been involved in, but is the perfect example of why we strongly encourage use of our secure document storage service in order to keep arguably the most important document anyone can create safe and secure, all for a small annual charge.
Can I have access to my documents whenever I like?
Your documents are yours and you will be able to have access to them upon request.
Can you hold other documents that I've drafted, such as the deeds to my home?
Yes, other important documents such as the deeds to your home, birth certificates etc. can be kept secure with your will.
Would my attorneys be able to access my documents if I no longer had capacity?
Your appointed attorney will be able to access your documents if you have stated that they can have sight of your will in your LPAs. If you are unsure if they will be able to access these documents, then talk to one of the LR Estate Planners and they can check whether you have given your attorney access to these documents. Our advisers will be able to explain to you the advantages and disadvantages of allowing your attorney access to these documents so you can make more of an informed decision
How quickly will you be able to get my documents to me if I request them?
Once we receive a request for document access, we will have your documents with you within 10 working days and these will be received via tracked and insured post.
How do I pay for my storage?
Your storage is paid annually through Direct Debit.
Can I choose to take out storage at a later date?
Yes, you can opt to take out storage at a later date or not at all, but we always strongly encourage storage of important documents such as a will in a safe and secure location.
How secure are my documents if they are stored?
Your documents are not stored at our offices. They are secured off-site, in safe boxes contained within a secure access-controlled facility with fire and flood detection systems.
LR Connections provides expert independent financial advice, accountancy and estate planning services
