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In recent years, reports have revealed that only about one-third of Americans die with wills. Those who leave wills behind help their loved ones, who have a much easier time collecting their inheritances and may even look into landing inheritance advances from Rockpoint Probate Funding.
So, how do you find out if someone has a will? That’s the question you and your fellow family members might ask in the immediate aftermath of a loved one’s death. It isn’t always apparent whether or not a person has a will if they haven’t shared any information about it with loved ones.
Learn about the legal channels for finding out if someone has a will below.
Begin by Looking for a Loved One’s Will in Their Home
Ideally, your loved one will have told you that they created a will and shown you exactly where they kept it in their home before their death. But even if they didn’t do either of these things, the first logical place to look for a loved one’s will is in their house when you’re wondering, “How do you find out if someone has a will?”
Look around to see where your loved one kept their important documents and check for a will among them. You should also look in unconventional places for a loved one’s will. People have been known to hide wills:
- In the back of freezers
- Inside boxes under beds
- Underneath floorboards
Searching high and low for a loved one’s will in their home could uncover it and save you from the trouble of having to take other steps to track it down later on. You can do this while sorting through their effects.
Check With a Loved One’s Lawyer To Find Out If They Have a Will
Estate planning software has made it simpler than ever for people to create wills without any legal assistance. But since creating a will is such a big deal to many people, they’ll often resort to trusting estate planning lawyers to complete the job.
If your loved one used a specific lawyer to procure legal advice for other issues, they may have also asked them to lend a hand with creating a will. Or, at the very least, they may have asked this attorney to hang on to their will once they created it elsewhere. It couldn’t hurt to check in with them by scheduling a quick attorney consultation to see whether they know where to look for it.
See If a Loved One Kept a Will Locked Up in a Safe Deposit Box at Their Bank
Even though reports suggest safe deposit boxes aren’t as safe as banks would lead you to believe, there are still about 25 million of them in the U.S. Did your loved one have one? If so, this is another place you will want to look for their will and any other valuables they may have wanted to keep in a safe deposit box rather than their home (which may themselves be a part of the will if it outlines conditions for an inheritance).
Just know that gaining access to a loved one’s safe deposit box isn’t always easy when answering the question, “How do you find out if someone has a will?” You may want to advise any living family members with wills kept in safe deposit boxes to store them elsewhere so they’re more accessible when surviving family members need them.
Call the County Clerk and Ask, “How Do You Find Out If Someone Has a Will?”
Just because your loved one left a will behind doesn’t mean their assets will immediately be distributed to their beneficiaries as listed in their will. First, your family must file their will with a local probate court. The executor of the will then has to provide an executor notification to beneficiaries and creditors, in which case you should find out about the will in this way if you’re listed in it.
Still, you’re welcome to check whether a will for your loved one has been filed in probate court through the county clerk’s website in your loved one’s city. You can also contact the county clerk’s office to ask any questions you may have about the existence of your loved one’s will and any related public records.
Visit the U.S. Will Registry To See If You Can Track Down a Loved One’s Will
Checking for a will for a loved one has become so much simpler these days, thanks to the launch of the U.S. Will Registry. This website was first introduced in 1997, but it has since grown to offer many great estate planning features for those interested in creating wills.
If your loved one took advantage of any of these features and created a will through the U.S. Will Registry, you won’t have to wonder, “How do you find out if someone has a will?” anymore. Simply click “Find a Will” on the registry’s website, and you can complete a quick search to track down your loved one’s will.
Contact Us for More Information on Inheritance Advances
Now that you know which options you’ll have when asking yourself, “How do you find out if someone has a will?” you can start searching for a loved one’s will. Once you have access to it, you may apply for an inheritance advance through Rockpoint Probate Funding. Reach out to us to discover how the process works.
