Buttons, my Labrador retriever, did very little retrieving over his lifetime. Mainly he buried his treasured possessions in the garden and then forgot about them.

I am afraid Buttons’s approach to storage solutions is not unique to canines. I have seen people with a variety of creative filing systems come to Fairhurst Menuhin & Co for legal advice. Clients have put important family documents such as Wills under beds, in cupboards, and even one inside a Victorian crockery set, and then promptly forgotten about them.

Unfortunately, imaginative hiding places create complications with serious legal and emotional consequences. Too often legal documents are found after disagreements have already broken out over money, property and family heirlooms. Sometimes express wishes to be buried are only discovered after a deceased family member has been cremated. All the above situations are avoidable.

So where should you store your Will?

Taking the time to responsibly look after your family and estate by drafting a Will is something we all need to do.

In all fairness, however, it is not obvious what to do with a Will once it has been created. Some solicitors firms charge you for storing your Will at their offices, and some solicitors have filing systems only slightly more sophisticated than man’s best friend. If you are an organised individual, you can hold on to your Will at home, but it is still at risk of flood or fire damage or not making its way to a lawyer at the crucial time.

At Fairhurst Menuhin & Co, we can store your Will for free. We keep our documents in fire-proof storage units. And we stay in contact with our clients over the years in case any changes, however small, need to be made. Even if you have not drafted your Will with us, we are still happy to store it for free. Or we can review it for you.

And if we are storing your Will and you want to take a look at it, unlike Buttons, we are perfectly capable of retrieving it for you.

Contact Aaron Menuhin at aaron.menuhin@fmc-solicitors.com or call our offices on 01440 761 200.