Consultation outcome

Storage and retention of original will documents

• From: Ministry of Justice
• Published: 15 December 2023
• Last updated: 8 January 2025 — See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Storage and retention of original will documents: consultation response

PDF, 339 KB, 36 pages

Consulation response (Welsh summary)

PDF, 130 KB, 3 pages

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Detail of outcome

This document is the government’s response to the consultation paper on the storage and preservation of wills and other documents submitted in applications for probate (administration of the estates of deceased persons).

It covers:

• the background to the consultation paper
• a summary of the responses
• a detailed response to the specific questions
• the next steps following this consultation

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Original consultation

Summary

A consultation on storage and retention of wills and other documents submitted in applications for probate.

This consultation ran from
10am on 15 December 2023 to 11:59pm on 23 February 2024

Consultation description

At present all of the wills and documents submitted in support of probate (legal authority to manage larger estates of deceased persons) are preserved indefinitely in the original paper form. These records date back to 1858.

This consultation paper proposes a reform that will enable older wills and documents to be converted to a digital form and then destroyed, with the wills of famous persons preserved. Views are sought on the proposals from interested parties.

Documents

Storage and retention of original will documents

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-4606-2, CP 984

HTML

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Storage and retention of original will documents

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-4606-2, CP 984

PDF, 203 KB, 29 pages

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Storage and retention of original will documents (print)

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-4606-2, CP 984

PDF, 113 KB, 32 pages

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Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email web.comments@justice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Storage and retention of original will documents (large print)

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-4606-2, CP 984

PDF, 145 KB, 56 pages

Order a copy

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

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Storio a chadw dogfennau ewyllys gwreiddiol

PDF, 284 KB, 32 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email web.comments@justice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Published 15 December 2023
Last updated 8 January 2025 + show all updates

1. 8 January 2025

   Consultation response published.

2. 15 December 2023

   First published.