I hope you get the information you are hoping for, Phoenix.

And you, Elizabeth!

I have added some wills to my basket and in due course I shall order them.

I did smile at what appears on the page with my basket:

"You’ll be able to access the wills for 31 days.

Please allow 10 working days for your documents to be made available*

Wills are provided for personal use only: you must get the relatives’ permission if you want to publish them in any way."

Lol!

But they presumably mean beneficiaries and any other person whose personal details might appear.

Yes, I think I know what they mean, but the bulk of wills I am buying are from well over 100 years ago and I don't think anyone connected with them is around to care!

I do remember my mother-in-law being very shocked when she realised that you can buy wills. She was most indignant and thought that they were private.

I am very excited, as I have just ordered 2 wills, my mum's dad's (with her permission) and my great great grandma's. Just a shame i haven't found more yet, but I will keep looking at that price!

Surely wills are in the public domain and always have been? To prevent fraud, for one thing.

OC

Wills are fundamentally in the public domain. Newspaper often publish details of the latest wills and the bequests made. I remember my grandmother reading them, as well as the hatches, matches and dispatches.

I searched my direct line for Dad's side and only found one will. I'm so disappointed.

I don't expect much better for Mum's and I've ordered the ones I really wanted/needed for OH years ago. His side will be just for nosey purposes for the main part.

A few years back I put in for a standing search for an uncle of my husbands will for when it was published as he had recently died and my father in law was certain that nieces had persuaded his brother to alter his will in favour of them. He had no children and had promised to see the family ok. As it turned out father in law was right but we couldn’t prove any wrong doing.

When he tackled said nieces about it, holding the will in his hand as I had received it the day after it went to probate, they accused him of skulduggery in getting his hands on something they thought was private.

I think they still wonder how on Earth he got hold of it so quickly. He never told them I was behind it.