In December 2023, the government proposed a money-saving scheme to bin paper wills from 1858 onwards, preserving only the original wills of famous figures. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) calculated the cost of preserving paper wills at £4.5m per year.
However, the consultation, ‘Storage and retention of original will documents’, attracted 1,600 replies and ‘a strong emotional response’, the MoJ said, in its consultation response last week. Opponents argued it was not always clear what ‘famous’ meant or whose lives would interest future generations. Moreover, the scanning exercise could introduce errors.
Consequently, the government said it ‘accepts the compelling case that has been made by respondents… and has therefore determined not to proceed with any reforms that involve the destruction of original wills and supporting documents currently designated for permanent preservation’.
Since 2021, digital copies of wills and supporting documents have been made in all new applications.
