Solicitor Who Drew Up Will Is No Longer Practising.

[alb0679]

My wife and I are the executors on her mothers will. She has expressed a wish to amend the will but on attempting to contact the solicitor the phone number is now invalid and the former office is now empty. I have tried to find some information on companies house, however there is nothing listed under either the company name or the former partners. We are now left with a copy of the will but without access to the original which they were holding. I have contacted the Solicitor Regulatory Authority and am awaiting a response. Is anyone able to advise whether the will remains valid or will we have to have another one made? Thanks

[Barmaid]

Will is perfectly valid.

She can just go to a new solicitor and give instructions for a new Will.

Access to the original is not needed. Indeed, it is good you found out now rather than after death since then you would jump through the hoops of trying to prove a copy.

The Law Society should be able to give details of who took over the firm and in the case of original documents like this, they should have either gone to the new firm or gone to the Law Society. But I wouldn't bother, the cost of a new Will is very little more than a codicil so I'd just arrange to make a new Will.

[Barmaid]

Sorry, I should have said. If she wants to make changes this is normally done by codicil. It might be that the changes she wishes to make are so substantial a new Will is better in any event.