Where a will is kept, and how it is found again
By SortMyCover editorial team. Last reviewed . Fact-checked by SortMyCover editorial team on . See our editorial policy.
The will and estate service SortMyCover books is provided by Capital Legacy Solutions (Pty) Ltd, an authorised financial services provider (FSP 43826). SortMyCover does not draft wills and gives no advice. It puts you in touch with a Capital Legacy consultant.
After a will is signed, the will provider says it collects the original by courier at no charge, keeps it in a fire- and water-resistant vault and gives the client a copy. It says it does not charge to store, update or retrieve a will it drafted. This is information, not advice.
A will only helps if the signed original can be found when it matters. This page describes what Capital Legacy, the will provider SortMyCover introduces people to, says happens to a will after it is signed.
What happens to the signed original?
Capital Legacy says it collects a client's signed will by courier, at no charge. It then keeps the original in a vault that it describes as fire- and water-resistant.
Do I keep a copy?
Yes. Capital Legacy says it gives the client a copy of the will. The copy shows what the will says. The original is the signed document that is kept in the vault.
What does storage cost?
Capital Legacy says it does not charge to store or retrieve a will it drafted. It also says it does not charge to draft or update one.
Can the will be changed later?
Yes. Life changes, and a will can change with it. Capital Legacy says updates can be made as often as they are wanted, at no charge.
Who knows where the will is?
That is a personal choice. Some people tell the executor, a partner or an adult child that a will exists and who holds it. Telling someone where the will is does not mean telling them what it says.
What happens to the will after a death?
Once someone dies, their estate is wound up. Capital Legacy lists reporting the estate as the first stage of that process, and says it administers deceased estates in-house and can act as executor. What estate administration involves lists every stage.
Questions people ask about storage
These are useful questions to put to the Capital Legacy consultant at the appointment:
- Where is the original kept, and how is it collected after signing?
- When will I receive my copy, and in what form?
- How do my family or executor ask for the original when the time comes?
- How do I update the will, and what happens to the old version?
Where does SortMyCover fit in?
SortMyCover does not draft or store wills and gives no advice. It books a call with a Capital Legacy consultant. What happens at the will appointment describes that call, and what estate administration involves covers what happens to an estate after death.
Sources
- Existing clients, Capital Legacy. Page seen October 2026. Used for: Courier collection, vault storage and the client's copy.
- Why us, Capital Legacy. Page seen October 2026. Used for: No charge to draft, update, store or retrieve a will.
- Estate administration, Capital Legacy. Page seen October 2026. Used for: What happens to an estate after death.