how to find attorney records from an estate

Ask employees at the records clerk's office how to locate and access the file. Once you have the file, search it for the name of any lawyer or law firm that is listed as attorney of record for the deceased. Copy this information.

Full Answer

How to hire an estate attorney?

How to Find Attorney Records Step 1. Inquire with state bar associations. Attorneys must be licensed through the bar association of each individual... Step 2. Search court records. If you know the name of at least one party to a case in which an attorney was involved,... Step 3. Talk …

How to find the best real estate lawyer?

Search any files you find for the name of a lawyer or law firm that represented the deceased. Copy any information you find. Call the contact telephone numbers that were listed for the attorneys whose names you found in the court records.If the telephone numbers are invalid, call the state …

How do you find an estate planning lawyer?

Mar 20, 2016 · If you need a copy of your case file, if any, then I would suggest some of the following - contact the lawyer's licensing board for information on who took control of the attorney's files; contact the lawyer's law partner (if s/he had one); finally try contacting the …

How to become an estate lawyer?

May 05, 2020 · You can Google the lawyer’s name or the firm they belong to. Google will bring you all the relevant information about the lawyer. This includes any news stories, online reviews, or …

Courthouse Search

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.

Notary Public Search

Get out all the signed legal documents that were found among the deceased's property and look for any signatures that were notarized. Go to the county assessor's office in the county where the deceased person owned real property and search for notarized deed records.

Interviews and Advertisements

Talk to friends and neighbors who knew the deceased well. 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.

Shawn Reinke

The easiest way to get the date of your divorce is to contact court administration. You should be able to get the information you need with a quick phone call. A google search for " [name of county] family court administrator" will usually get you what you need.

Tricia Dwyer

I'm not sure exactly what records you need. The divorce decree and other limited legal docs' presumably are kept secured by local court admin.' & those records, with appropriate exception, are available to the public. Often the various counties have online info' stating how people may obtain copies of various records...

What is a lawyer's track record?

A lawyer’s track record is a clear indicator of how good an attorney is at their job. That’s why it’s so important to look at your lawyer’s track record before you get one for the job. However, not everyone knows how to do so. Here’s how to research an attorney track record before you sign any retainer agreement and get trusted personal attorney.

Is word on the street credible?

Word on the street isn’t a very credible source of information, but there’s always some truth to it. A lawyer’s street cred will speak volumes about their credibility and attorney track record. Try to get some recommendations from family and friends for some great lawyers.

John C. Farrell Jr

You can go to the Probate court and go to the Registry of Probate counter. Sometimes wills are filed there. Go there with as much identification information as possible, including an approximate date that the will was drawn up. Obviously, you know that there is a will since you are asking about one.

Thomas J Callahan

If he was a solo practitioner as you suggest, I have serious doubts you will find anything after 20 years. We have a weekly newspaper called Lawyers Weekly. www.masslawyersweekly.com. Often, people looking for old or lost wills post an ad about it in that paper.

E. Alexandra Golden

Since you listed the practice area as "wills," I'll assume you're looking for a will.#N#First, check with the Registry of Probate to see if your will was filed there for safekeeping. If you know what town he resided in, you may want to check with the appropriate Registry of Probate and find out who was the executor of his estate...

Brynn Zawada

It depends on what records you are looking for. I would start by calling the office he worked and see if they retained any of your documents.

Are Probate Records Available to the Public?

Probate records are available to the public, but they may not be available for free. Many county clerk’s offices have started charging a nominal fee for viewing them. You should be able to find probate records for both intestate cases and cases where the individual died with a will.

Other Methods to Access Probate Records

The Church of Latter-Day Saints has amazing resources for family history researchers and others who need access to probate records. You can search their historical records for free. You can use their family search database to help you determine the date of death and where they were buried.

The Bottom Line

Not all probate records are available online, but many are. You first have to isolate the date of death and place of death of the decedent to locate in what county and state that the probate records may be located. Then, you check with the county clerk’s office and find out what does exist online.

Tips for Estate Planning

Make a will, or other estate planning document. You will save your family so much time, energy and grief. You can even make your own will for free.

A Step-By-Step Guide

Julie Ann Garber is a vice president at BMO Harris Wealth management, a CFP, and has 25 years of experience as a lawyer and trust officer. Julie Ann has been quoted in The New York Times, the New York Post, Consumer Reports, Insurance News Net Magazine, and many other publications.

Find Out Where a Probate Estate Has Been Filed

How do you determine the appropriate probate court where an estate is being or has been, probated? In general, an estate is probated in the county where the deceased person lived at the time of his or her death, or, in some cases, the county where the deceased person owned real estate.

Locate Online Records and Request Copies

Once you have located the appropriate county where the probate estate should be administered, a further online search can be done for that county's probate court or probate court dockets.

What to Do if You Cannot Locate Probate Records Online

If you do not have any luck in locating the appropriate probate court's dockets online, then you can try the following:

Step 1 – Identify Location Where Probate was Filed

Your first step is to find out which county in the state has the public record. It will be in the county where probate was filed. This is most likely the county where the person died or where they were living at the time of their death if they passed away in another county.

Step 2 – Contact the County Probate Clerk

Once you know the county where probate was filed, you can look up the website for the probate court. Look for information about how to contact the county probate clerk. You might be able to read the record on the internet. However, another option, if they aren’t accessible online, is to contact the office of the clerk by phone or email.

Step 3 – Search the Internet

Once you know the county where probate was filed, you can do a search for the estate. You would go to the county government’s website and search by name of the deceased. You may also be able to search by the court docket or attorney. You can also use the case number to search probate cases if you have it.

Step 4 – Collect the Probate Records

If you are able to view the case online, you can print off the records. If you must go to the courthouse in person, you can ask the clerk to let you review the case or specific documents from the record. You may need to review the file in the office before you know which documents were included or what you will need.

Step 5 – Create Copies for the Court

You will want to make copies of any documents that are relevant to your search. If you are able to view the record online, you can print off the number of copies you need. If you must view the record in person, you will need to ask the clerk to make copies for you. They may charge a copying fee for each page.

Contact the Probate Court

You can also call the court and ask the clerk to make copies of probate records. Some clerks will help you with this task, so you don’t have to come in. This can be very important if you live in another state.

You May Need an Estate Planning Attorney

If you still cannot find an estate in probate after doing all these steps, it is possible that the estate was never opened. If this is the case and you know it should have been opened, you will want to contact an estate planning attorney who can review your case, give you more information, and provide legal counsel on your next steps.

How to find out if someone died in probate?

3) If you can’t find the records in the local court’s archive, you may have to search state archives. The last step is usually the hardest part in knowing how to find probate records.

How to find probate records?

Once you locate the archive, use the following steps on how to search probate records: 1) Find the index and search the deceased person’s name which will be listed alphabetically by surname. 2) Locate and list the docket number and date of probate. 3) Look under the names of family members of the deceased. 4) Once you know what dockets you’re ...

What happens if someone close to you dies?

When someone writes a will, it ’s usually given to an attorney, stored in a safe place or hidden.

Where do you keep a will?

However, many people keep their will with other important papers in their desk, drawer, or file cabinet. If possible, literally rummage through the decedent’s papers and personal belongings.

Can a probate court accept a copy of a will?

People who go to an attorney to draft their will usually leave the original, executed version of their will with their attorney. A probate court will not accept a copy of a will—it will only accept the original.

What is a will registry?

A will registry is a service that a person uses after writing a will.