National Will Register Blog | Wills and Probate » Certainty http://blog.certainty.co.uk Where there is a will Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:05:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 Certainty Will Search finds Will 34 years after it was written http://blog.certainty.co.uk/certainty-will-search-finds-will-34-years-after-it-was-written http://blog.certainty.co.uk/certainty-will-search-finds-will-34-years-after-it-was-written#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:10:16 +0000 admin http://blog.certainty.co.uk/?p=367 David Thomas is a Guinness World Record-holder for memory, his memory feats include reciting Pi (3.14159) to 22,500 digits without error and Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author. He has the power to recall many key facts, so remembering simple things such as where a Will may be kept shouldn’t be a problem. But of course, he can only remember facts he has learnt. Like the rest of us, David can’t recall what he doesn’t know.

In 1977 two very important events took place, the Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee and David’s grandfather wrote his Will. 16 years ago David’s grandfather died intestate. However David has never given up his quest to find his grandfather’s Will. David comments, “Finding the Will was never about the money. This was all about being able to fill a gap in my knowledge about my Grandad and about who I was and where I came from. With it we could draw a line in the sand. It also helped my brother complete the family tree he’d been working on.”

Faced with a problem his memory couldn’t help him resolve and keen to bring closure to an emotionally trying experience, David contacted certainty.co.uk. He was sceptical about the chances of finding the Will because his grandfather had died 16 years ago. But this scepticism swiftly turned into optimism and hope.

The Certainty search team first checked the Certainty national Will register. This initial search quickly found that David’s grandfather’s Will was not registered. Certainty then performed a ‘Will Search Cover’ which uses cutting-edge technology to connect solicitors around the country and issues a ‘missing wills notification’. Within a very short time, Certainty unearthed the missing Will. David continues, “I thought this was so exciting; really magical. Lo and behold this Will had been in the solicitor’s office for 34 years. Then, suddenly there it was – a piece of my history”.

“This sort of Will search service can be life-changing. It takes something that’s a dry intellectual pursuit and turns it into a human, emotional experience.” Nigel McGinnity, co-founder of Certainty, added: “Sadly, David’s story is all too common. There are many cases of Wills that haven’t been registered and can’t be found. We know this is a big problem
and that’s why Certainty exists.”

]]> http://blog.certainty.co.uk/certainty-will-search-finds-will-34-years-after-it-was-written/feed 0 Remember a Charity in Your Will http://blog.certainty.co.uk/remember-a-charity-in-your-will http://blog.certainty.co.uk/remember-a-charity-in-your-will#comments Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:35:28 +0000 admin http://blog.certainty.co.uk/?p=360 Charities in the UK heavily rely on legacies left in Wills. It is a fact that while 74% of the UK population support charities, only 7% currently leave a legacy to them. Remember a Charity work with charities to encourage more people to consider leaving a gift to charities in their Will, after their loved ones have been looked after.

The Certainty National Will Register work closely with Remember a Charity to register all Wills free of charge that supports the work Remember a Charity do. More information can be found here.

]]> http://blog.certainty.co.uk/remember-a-charity-in-your-will/feed 0 The importance of a National Will Register http://blog.certainty.co.uk/the-importance-of-a-national-will-register-2 http://blog.certainty.co.uk/the-importance-of-a-national-will-register-2#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:27:27 +0000 sdeeley http://blog.certainty.co.uk/?p=151 This is a letter the Certainty National Will Register has received from a member of the public.

Most people assume that when you die your Will is easily found but if you’re anything like me, keeping your Will safe may realistically be the last thing on your mind.

Individuals and Solicitors can now register a Will with the National Will Register Certainty.co.uk and this will allow your family to locate your Will when you pass on and ensure that your last wishes are respected, eliminating distress and financial loss brought about by a lost or missing will.

If a valid Will cannot be found, the present rules governing your estate if you die without a will have little regard for your wishes. Your loved ones may not receive the inheritance that you would wish, family disputes can occur and you potentially run the risk of depriving your spouse or partner of their home and increasing the inheritance tax (IHT) burden. That’s why using the Certainty National Will Register can be a vitally important part of the Will Writing process.

For your own peace of mind, the best advice I’ve been given is to make or review your Will with your solicitor and ask them to register it with Certainty the National Will Register. Only the location of the Will is registered on Certainty’s National Will Register (i.e. the solicitors office where the Will is held) and this information remains private and confidential until you pass on with access granted only then to the next of kin and executors.

]]> http://blog.certainty.co.uk/the-importance-of-a-national-will-register-2/feed 0