how to get records of my living will, attorney retired where can i find documents

Will Registry involves a simple search. This search taps into a national database registry that documents the location of a will and final estate documents. Millions of wills are registered nationally and internationally. A copy (or Duplicate Copy) of a Will may be held with an attorney, institution, friend, home or an online digital storage.

Full Answer

How do I find a will?

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. A copy (or Duplicate Copy) of a Will may be held with an attorney, institution, friend, home or an online digital storage.

What happened to my will after my attorney died?

After your attorney retired or died, his staff should have mailed the original wills to you and your husband. Of course, they may have tried that. If you moved without telling your attorney, then his staff had no way to return your original wills. If they could not find you, they should have done one of two things.

How do I find probate court records?

Find the probate index for the records you want. The index is the archive that holds the records. Do an Internet search to find the website for the archive. Many sites include holdings information, telephone numbers, and even addresses and directions to the probate court. Some sites may even allow you to view the records online. [2]

How do I find out if a person has passed away?

Obtaining Records in the U.S. Find the deceased person’s full legal name. Confirm the date of death. Determine the last place of residence. Find the probate index for the records you want. Visit the probate court if you can’t find the records online. Find the will or other document. Check if you can make copies.

What are the four must have documents?

This online program includes the tools to build your four "must-have" documents:Will.Revocable Trust.Financial Power of Attorney.Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare.

How do I look up a will in Washington State?

Contact the probate court in the counties where the deceased lived to determine whether the will was registered. Contact a probate attorney for help. These attorneys have access to networks of other probate attorneys in the state, one of whom may have the will you are looking for.

Are Wills public record in WA state?

Wills that are filed after the death of a testator are public record. If a Probate case is opened at the time, the full filing fee of $240 must be charged.

Is a will public record?

In general, a will is a private document unless and until a grant of probate is issued. Once a grant of probate has been issued, a will becomes a public document and anyone can apply to have a copy.

How do you find a will when someone dies?

Ask their bank Sometimes banks store wills and other important documents (such as property deeds) on behalf of individuals. If you are the executor of the estate, you could ask the deceased's bank if they have a copy of the will. If they do, then you can request this from them.

How do I track down a will?

You can contact the deceased's bank to find out if they have the Will but they may not provide any information unless you're the executor. Solicitors, Will writers and other professionals use the National Will Register to store their client's Wills. Individuals can also store their Will on the register for safekeeping.

Is there a will or trust in Washington state?

If you use a will, it must be probated and become public record. A trust is also harder to contest than a will, offering security that your plan will remain in place. Washington applies an estate tax to estates worth over $2 million and federal estate tax applies to estates of more than $5 million.

Where can I find probate records in Washington state?

The Family History Library has acquired copies of probate records for a few counties in Washington. However, they are also available at the various county courthouses, or the county may have transferred early records to the Washington State Archives at http://www.secstate.wa.gov/archives/.

How to find a will?

Typically, you’ll need the deceased person’s name, date of death, and last residence. The process for finding will records will depend on where you are searching.

How to get a copy of a will?

1. Find required information. You can get a copy of a will if you have the deceased person’s name, year of death, and the state or territory where they died. Try to collect other helpful information, such as their last known address.

How to find out if someone is deceased?

1. Find the deceased person’s full legal name. You’ll need to search for a will or other probate records by name. Get their first and last name, at a minimum. Also look for their middle initial or middle name. Ask people who knew the deceased if they knew their full legal name. Some people use nicknames.

What is index in probate?

The index is the archive that holds the records. Do an Internet search to find the website for the archive. Many sites include holdings information, telephone numbers, and even addresses and directions to the probate court. Some sites may even allow you to view the records online. 5.

How to search for will probate in the UK?

Search the website. Visit https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate and click on the green “Start Now” button. There are three databases, so select the one that applies:

How to find out where a person died?

1. Find out where the person died. You’ll need to search for a will by contacting the Superior Court of Justice where the personal representative filed the will. For this reason, you need to find the county or district where the deceased last lived. Ask around if you don’t know where the person lived.

How much does it cost to search for a will in Alberta?

Pay a fee. You might need to pay a search fee. In Alberta, for example, you must pay a $10.00 search fee per name. Viewing the file is included in the fee, but you’ll have to pay more if you want to photocopy the will.

Barry K. Fine

While a copy of a will is probatable in most circumstances, the legal fees of a cost of a proceeding to admit a copy to probate far outweighs the cost of having a new will prepared. I agree with the prior posts, have the will redone and stored in the attorney's fire proof vault.

Sharon M. Siegel

That will not be good enough when you die. You need the original Will for probate purposes. As the previous poster indicated, hire a new attorney, prepare a new Will revoking all prior Wills and have that attorney hold the original in a safe. Alternatively, you could keep the original in a safety deposit bank or a safe of your own.

Maria C. Tebano

You really don't want to leave your heirs in the position of having to worry about whether a Surrogate's Court will admit a copy of the Will to probate. Your prior attorney may have filed the original will with the Surrogate's Court in White Plains (assuming that you reside in Westchester County). Check with the Court and see...

Michael Evan Greenspan

You should go to a new attorney and get a will executed right away. You can have your new attorney keep the new will in a will vault or you can have the document filed with the Surrogate's Court.

Richard Albert Luthmann

Copies of wills are always a problem. If you can't locate the original, then take your copy to a new lawyer and have them do another one with the same provisions. It probably needs to be updated anyway.

Can you lose a will in your attorney's safe?

If your wills are in your attorney’s safe, you do not have to worry about losing them. You may even be concerned that certain family members may go so far as to destroy your will to get a larger inheritance. If the will is in your attorney’s safe, that will not happen. In your case, this backfired.

Can a will be probated?

Your wills are still valid, but they won't do your children much good unless they can find the originals. A photocopy of a will can be probated, but someone could contest the will by claiming that the original was revoked instead of just being lost.

Do attorneys keep wills?

A lot of attorneys offer to keep the original wills they prepare for their clients, at no charge. They do this so they can probate the estates of their clients. When a client dies, their children read the copy of the will and call the attorney whose name is stamped in big bold letters on the first page.

Can a will be revocable after a husband dies?

You may be better off avoiding a wild goose chase and hiring another, younger, attorney to revise your estate plan. Wills do not avoid probate. After either you or your husband dies, the survivor between the two of you can collect the decedent’s estate outside of probate, if you own everything together as joint tenants or as community property with right of survivorship, but when the survivor dies, the estate will have to be probated in the courts. You can avoid probate, and probate fees, by getting a revocable trust. Since you need new wills anyway, you should see a new attorney who can advise you on all of your options.

How to Get Your Complete File from a Retired Lawyer

I was represented about 4 years ago from the PD office. I checked my file still exists. I was given a 4 page copy of police report and court order, however I want and need full access to this for when I go to court against my EX for visitation, what do I need to do to receive this information? No I do not have an attorney yet

Re: Attorney Has Retired, I Want a Copy of My File, Case is Over. Can I Obtaine a Cop

Did you ask the the PD's office for a copy of your file? If so, what did that office tell you? Even though the attorney has retired, those files belong to the PD's office and it should still have them.

Re: Attorney Has Retired, I Want a Copy of My File, Case is Over. Can I Obtaine a Cop

Yes I requested the file, however they were only able to give me a 4 page report they claimed they didn't know where hard copies went, and suggested I needed an attorney to request copies

Re: Attorney Has Retired, I Want a Copy of My File, Case is Over. Can I Obtaine a Cop

The court, itself, has a records department where you should be able to look up (and get copies of) the entire case file.

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.