how do i find my dad's will if i don't know the attorney

An accountant may know who your father's lawyer is. In any case, your father should have either the original will or a copy so check safe deposit boxes and file cabinets. If you can't find the will, an ad in the New York Law Journal may be a good start, but not all lawyers read the Journal much less the classified ads.

Full Answer

How to find a missing will?

Locating a missing will through The U.S. Will Registry involves a simple search. This search taps into a national database registry that stores the location of a will and final estate documents. Millions of wills are registered nationally and internationally.

What to do if a will is missing?

If a match is found, indicating the missing will is registered, The U.S Will Registry will need to be provided: a) the searchers identification b) death certificate or copy of public Death Notice. Once obtained, the will’s location (or the name of the attorney who prepared the will) will be released to the family member listed in the Will Search.

What happens if a will registry does not match?

If the registry does not produce a match, your information is then entered into a "missing will database". Attorneys are able to search this database, letting them know that loved ones are looking for a potentially lost will that they, or their office, is in possession of.

How Much Does a DNA Test Kit cost?

AncestryDNA® Will help you discover where your family is from without even leaving your home for only $99.

Why is DNA testing important?

Advancement of DNA testing and analysis in recent years as DNA databases have been created to help people identify and connect with biological parents has become a great possibility and has seen great successes. When analyzing DNA match lists and connecting with genetic cousins, it is often possible to put the pieces together to identify a biological father.

What happens if your parent hasn't tested for DNA?

If a parent hasn’t tested on any DNA database, it is likely, that you will only receive DNA matches from far distant relatives on your test. Don’t be discouraged when your closest match is a cousin who only shares 3% of your DNA. With this information, you could still be able to locate your biological father through them.

How many generations can you get from autosomal DNA?

An autosomal DNA test can be taken by males or females and can provide DNA matches up to 5 and 6 generations on both your biological father and mother’s sides of the family.

What is a DNA match?

A DNA match is sometimes referred to as a “cousin match,” which is the result of your DNA data that were compared to other people’s DNA data on file. These matching segments of chromosomes were used to identify and indicate a family relationship. Once your DNA was tested, you will be provided with a DNA match list.

Why is my DNA match not coming to my inbox?

If you find your DNA match on a social media platform, be aware that your message might not arrive directly in your DNA match’s inbox due to message filtering privacy settings that prevent spam.

How do I find my biological father?

Your options for finding your biological father are many, like joining mutual consent registries, if you were adopted, contacting the adoption agency or social service that handled the adoption, researching your rights for obtaining a copy of the original birth certificate and adoption record. You could use a certified confidential intermediary (CI) to make contact through a third party. You could talk to older relatives and family friends to see if they have any additional information about your biological father.

How long does it take to file a will after your father dies?

You didn't indicate how long ago it was that your father passed away . Generally, a Will must be filed in the probate court within 10 days after death - - - but this is often ignored until an estate is opened. It may be that your father had a trust and transferred all of his assets to his trust to avoid probate and to keep the knowledge ...

How to find a will that hasn't been probated?

There is no simple way to find a will that hasn't been probated. If you have access to your father's papers, see if you can find anything with a reference to a lawyer or even an accountant. An accountant may know who your father's lawyer is. In any case, your father should have either the original will or a copy so check safe deposit boxes and file cabinets. If you can't find the will, an ad in the New York Law Journal...

Can a father's wife be appointed as executor?

You have been given some good practical advice. Legally, I suggest that you file an administration proceeding to be appointed as administrator. Your father's wife will get notice and if she has a will that benefits her, she will come forward with it and ask to be named as Executor. You can also do a petition to compel the production of a will, but this is more costly and you do not have enough information. You should...

What evidence is needed for a birth father?

The most concrete evidence available is a DNA test or a paternity test.

How does DNA testing work?

The way this works is that the searcher submits a DNA test through a company and the DNA test results are matched to others in the database of that company who have also completed the test, and share common DNA with the searcher.

Can you get a birth certificate in the US if you were adopted?

Depending on what US state you were born in, you may be able to request your original birth certificate. See a breakdown of the laws of each state. This typically only works for those who were adopted. In our experience, it rarely has both the birth mother’s name and the birth father’s name.

Is a birth mother 100% accurate?

What this means is that we usually do not take any details or evidence provided as 100 percent accurate when it comes to determining and locating a birth father . In some cases, a birth mother may have been totally sober and aware at the time of conception and had no other sexual relations.

Can you learn about your birth roots from DNA?

You can learn a lot about your birth roots from your DNA even if you aren’t quite ready to have contact with your biological relatives. Learn more in a free downloadable guide from Your DNA Guide , which also has a table to help you understand the likelihood of being able to identify a birth parent with your current test results.