Sometimes a parent has recently passed away and their child can’t find the Will which they believe was drafted many years ago.  Here are some suggestions about how and where to start looking for a lost Will:

First, you should go through any papers and if you do not find the Will, be on the look out for a letter or  business card from an attorney.  If you find the attorney, you will be able to contact that person and ask if they have the original or a copy of the Will, or if they ever drafted one with that attorney.  A financial planner or accountant may also know the attorney that the decedent used.

You can also check with the decedents bank(s).  The person may have put the Will in a safe deposit box and a banker could assist you with obtaining access to the box.  If you still can not find the Will but remember your parent mentioning an attorney in a certain town, you could use the telephone book to contact attorneys in that town to see if they drafted a Will for that parent.

If by this time the Will has still not turned up, you should check with the local Probate Court.  A Will can be filed in advance of death and docketed with the Probate Court by the decedent themselves.

If you still can’t find the Will, the next step is to contact an attorney to determine how the decedents estate will be settled without a Will.