How can I find out if there is a will?

It can be difficult to determine if a decedent had a will if they did not inform the correct people. Hopefully, the person designated to serve as the executor was informed about the will and its location. In some cases, family members find the will first. In most states, the person who locates the will has a duty to submit it to the probate court within days of locating it.

If the executor wasn’t informed of the will, looking for the attorney who may have drafted the will is the next step. Old bank statements or knowing the law firm the decedent used can be helpful.

Immediate family members can get permission to look in secure areas like a safety deposit box (without removing contents) to find a will.

Most people who create a will keep it somewhere they think people will find it — even if that’s not the case or it doesn’t happen for months. This may be with other important documents, in a safe, or in a bank safety deposit box.