Kitson Hutchings ‘makes certain' that your relatives know where to find your Will!

25 June 2009 -Regional law firm, Kitson Hutchings has signed up to the Certainty Will Register, a new national database that guarantees full will traceability after an individual's death. And, with an estimated 67% of people* in the UK having no knowledge of where a relative's will is held, the database will ensure a nationally accessible record.

Lynn Smith, Partner and Head of Probate, Kitson Hutchings, explains:

"The percentage of people who can't find, or indeed don't know where a relative's will is kept, or which firm of solicitors was used, is worryingly high. We believe that by offering our clients the chance to register their will with Certainty, they can ensure that their final wishes are carried out even in the event that their relatives can't locate their will. And, we can search online for any will, regardless of which firm of solicitor's actually prepared it."

The scheme, which is fully endorsed by the Law Society, is aimed at ensuring that the wishes expressed by an individual in their will are carried out, and that the intended beneficiaries do indeed benefit from it. It also offers a safeguard against lost or misplaced wills and reduces the stress on the family following an individual's death.

Lynn concludes:

"Certainty will be promoting the scheme to the general public on a national level, so that people throughout the UK are aware of this highly accessible wills database. And, we'll also be talking to all of our existing clients about having their wills placed on the register as an additional safeguard against it not being located by relatives or beneficiaries. As one of Certainty's Founder Members, Kitson Hutchings is really pleased that a national database is finally in place and we're optimistic that a lot more relatives will be able to access family members' wills." 

About Kitson Hutchings

Kitson Hutchings is ranked as one of the South West region's leading law firms employing over 100 staff, 15 partners and 60 fee earners. See www.khlaw.co.uk for more details.

More broadly, Kitson Hutchings offers a wide range of legal services from commercial disciplines through to private client services including transport, disciplinary and regulatory work; debt recovery, property, probate, employment, family and childcare law.

For further information on Certainty registration or making a Will, call Stephen Cole on 01803 202055 or Lynn Smith on 01803 202020

* A recent Certainty survey revealed