how do i find out who my father had as his attorney for his will

by Jaylan Terry 6 min read

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...

To determine if your father left a will, you can contact his attorney, executor, or the applicable probate court. You should also check your father's records and see if he kept a copy of the will. If he has left you anything, it should be written in the will.

Full Answer

How do I find out if my father has a will?

Aug 13, 2012 · You could engage an attorney who could place an ad in the local bar news requesting information about a will or trust. This is done quite often. If your father moved from different areas during his lifetime your could also check in those locations. People do not update their documents as often as they should, so his documents may be older.

How do I find a deceased lawyer's Lawyer?

Jun 09, 2019 · 1 ANSWER. The attorney who drafted it may have the original or may have a copy. To flush out the original, hire a local probate attorney to file an application for a …

How do I become an executor of my father's estate?

Mar 13, 2019 · To determine if your father left a will, you can contact his attorney, executor, or the applicable probate court. You should also check your father's records and see if he kept a copy of the will. If he has left you anything, it should be written in the will. A probate attorney can also help guide you through the process if you're feeling overwhelmed.

How can I find out who my biological father is?

Wills are public documents. Contact the probate court in the county where your father lived and see whether there is a will on file. Court clerks should be able to track wills by date of death and name. If you think there's a will but it just hasn't been found, you would not be out of line asking to look through your father's papers and files.

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Is there a database for Wills?

The National Will Register is recommended by key organisations and used by solicitors, will writers, the public, charities, storage facilities and financial institutions to register Wills and search for Wills.

Can I see a copy of my father's will?

Once the grant of probate is issued, the will becomes a public document. Anyone can then obtain a copy by applying to the Probate Registry and paying the appropriate fee. It is important to note that only the current will that has been provided to the Probate Registry will become public.Aug 23, 2021

How do you find a lawyer who wrote the will?

Go to the county courthouse in the county where the deceased person lived. Search the civil litigation, family law and criminal court records by party name to see whether any records contain the deceased person's name.

How do I find out about my dad's will?

Contact the probate court in the county where your father lived and see whether there is a will on file. Court clerks should be able to track wills by date of death and name. If you think there's a will but it just hasn't been found, you would not be out of line asking to look through your father's papers and files.

Can I view someone's will?

After an individual has passed away, the executor who is the person or people who have been appointed in the will to administer the estate is the only person entitled to see the will and read its contents.May 29, 2020

Can you look at someone's will online?

Because probate files are public court records that anyone can read, you should be able to obtain a copy of it any will that has been filed for probate. 1 And with modern technology comes the ability to locate information about a deceased person's estate online, and in most cases for absolutely free.

How do I know if I am an executor of a will?

Finding out who has been named as the executor of an estate can be very simple – the individual's name should appear in the will. But this presumes that you've seen or have access to the document, which isn't always the case. The deceased also might not have left a will, in which case the court appoints an executor.Dec 14, 2018

Are wills public record?

A Will becomes a public document if after your death, your Estate requires 'Probate'. The term probate is the legal process of dealing with an estate. A Grant of Probate is required before the estate can be dealt with.

Can't find a will after death?

Searching for a lost Will When a Will can't be located, you should first search the deceased's property and go through their paperwork. Even if you don't find the Will itself, you may find some information about their solicitor, a receipt for the Will or even a copy of the document.

Who contacts beneficiaries of a will?

executorHelen: If someone has left a will and you are a beneficiary of an estate, you would usually be contacted by the executor, or the solicitor the executor has instructed, to notify you that you are a beneficiary.Jun 25, 2021

Who has power of attorney after death if there is no will?

What Happens After Death of the Principal? Upon the death of the principal, the power of attorney is no longer valid and instead the will is executed. Instead of the agent, now the executor of the will is responsible for carrying out the demands of the principal through the will.Jun 25, 2021

Are beneficiaries entitled to a copy of the will?

All beneficiaries named in a will are entitled to receive a copy of it so they can understand what they'll be receiving from the estate and when they'll be receiving it. 4 If any beneficiary is a minor, his natural or legal guardian should be given a copy of the will on his behalf.

What happens if your father dies without a will?

If your father died without a will, you may still inherit some of his assets. When an individual dies without a will, called dying "intestate," their assets are distributed according to state intestacy laws. These intestacy laws provide for distribution to the decedent's spouse (if any), children, and closest relatives according to a tiered system. ...

What happens if your father passes away?

If your father has passed away, you are probably entitled to receive a share of their assets. What this share consists of depends on various factors including the decedent's wishes, whether your father left behind a surviving spouse, and whether you have siblings.

What happens if you don't have an executor?

Generally, the executor must obtain a copy of the will upon death, contact the beneficiaries, and conduct a hearing where the executor reads the will. The executor is required to notify you of any inheritance. If there is no executor, you can ask the court to assign you as the executor of your father's estate.

Cienna Lee Law Topic Starter New Member

My father passed away 15 years ago and I'm trying to find out if he had a will and, if so, how I can go about requesting a copy.

zddoodah Well-Known Member

My father passed away 15 years ago and I'm trying to find out if he had a will and, if so, how I can go about requesting a copy.

ElleMD Well-Known Member

Do you have any reason to think your father had a will? If so, why do you think you would have been named as a beneficiary as your mother is still alive and you were just a child?

How to help a deceased person?

Ask them if they know about events in the deceased's life that would have required legal representation, like an arrest or a lawsuit. Follow up on any leads.

What documents require notarization?

Signatures on deeds, divorce settlement agreements and affidavits are examples of documents that require notarization. If the deceased's signature was notarized, that means that he signed the document before a notary public.

Where to find executor of father's will?

If you do not know who was the executor of your father's will and obtaining the information from other family members is not an option, the name of the executor is contained within the will's public record at the county courthouse that probated your father's estate.

What is the role of an administrator in a will?

When an individual dies without leaving behind a will, the court appoints an administrator to ensure the deceased's assets are distributed according to state law. The administrator of your father's estate can explain the contents of your father's estate and how much ...

What happens when a person dies?

When an individual dies, his assets pass to his beneficiaries according to the terms outlined in his will. If he did not leave behind a will, he died “intestate,” and the probate court in the county where he lived distributes his remaining assets according to state law. As the child of the deceased, you may be entitled to an inheritance regardless ...

What happens to unclaimed money after death?

If any assets he left behind after his death went unclaimed, the state manages the money until the rightful heir comes forward. Although some states make an effort to locate the rightful beneficiaries of unclaimed assets, not all have the time and resources to do so. Thus, it's sometimes up to you to locate your unclaimed inheritance.

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