How to Find Someone's Will
When someone passes away, finding the last will and testament is very important. While many people make preparations in advance to let a loved one know where to find a copy of the document, that is not always the case. Fortunately, there are several possible ways to locate a will and get the process of probate underway.
- Begin with a call to the probate office. In jurisdictions that do have provisions for filing wills in advance, there is a good chance the probate office can direct you to the proper office, making it easy to determine if this was in fact done at some time in the past. From there, you can follow procedures to gain access to the will and have it officially probated.
- Check with the deceased’s attorney. If the deceased was known to use a particular attorney, begin the search there. Even if he or she did not actually prepare the document for the deceased client there is some chance that information about the location of the will was left with that legal professional.
- Contact other legal professionals in the area. If no one attorney is known to have provided legal services for the deceased in the past, make the rounds to law offices in the area that practice general law, such as the preparation of wills.
- Look for a strongbox at the home of the deceased. Many people maintain locked strongboxes at home with copies of important papers, including last wills and testaments. If a copy of the will is not in the strongbox, there may be a note providing information on where to find it.
- Consider other niches in the home. People sometimes hide away documents such as wills in books of scripture, favorite novels or in false bottoms in desk drawers. Search the home thoroughly, keeping in mind the personality and habits of the deceased as you consider different hiding places ranging from the back of the freezer compartment to a wall safe to under the mattress.
- Determine if the deceased had a safety deposit box with a local bank. Depending on the circumstances, it may require a court order to gain control of the box, especially if an executor for the estate was not previously designated.
- Advertise to the local community. If no will is located, make the effort to place a classified ad in the local newspaper, asking for any information about a last will and testament for the deceased. In some instances, the will may have been prepared many years before by an attorney who is no longer actively practicing, but who may have some idea of where a copy of the will is stashed away.