The last original will of a deceased is held by the court if probate is applied for and granted.
The court then issues an original grant of probate document. The original probate document issued by the court has a photocopy of the last will included as part of it.
The original grant of probate should be treated in the same way as a will and retained in secure storage (i.e. fireproof and waterproof safe managed by a specialist facility provider) and not with the executors.
Generally, certified copies of probate should be sufficient for the executors to satisfy requirements of third parties such as retirement homes, banks, share registries and the Titles Office.
In relation to certified copies, our experience is that banks (and other third parties) often change their requirements on certification as different employees become involved in the process.
While banks (in particular) will sometimes resist the request, we strongly recommend they be asked to confirm their exact probate certification requirements in writing as a first step in the process, rather than risk the delays of multiple changes in verbal instructions.