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Understanding What a Will Is and Why You Might Want a Copy

A will is a legal document that outlines what happens to your money, property, and possessions after you die. It also names who will make decisions about your minor children if something happens to both parents. Think of it as instructions you leave behind that tell people exactly what you wanted to happen—who gets the house, who manages your bank accounts, who raises the kids. Without a will, state laws decide these things for you, and the process can take months or even years.

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Many people think wills only matter for wealthy folks or the elderly. That's not true. If you have a car, a home, a savings account, or young children, a will affects you. According to the American Bar Association, only about 34% of Americans have a will in place. That means most people haven't given clear instructions about their own belongings and family decisions.

You might need a copy of your own will if you wrote one years ago and can't remember where it is. You might also need information about how to find a will that belonged to a family member who has passed away—that's called locating a deceased person's will. Or you might be curious about whether a will exists at all in a particular situation. A guide about will copies helps you understand where these documents are typically stored, who keeps them, and what the process looks like for getting a copy or finding one.

The practical takeaway: Before you start looking for a will copy, think about why you need it. Are you trying to locate your own will? Are you an executor (the person named to carry out someone's wishes) and need a copy to do your job? Are you a family member trying to understand what a deceased relative left behind? Your reason will determine which steps make sense for you.

Where Wills Are Usually Stored and Who Keeps Them

Wills don't exist in one central database. There's no national "will registry" where everyone puts their documents. Instead, wills are kept in different places depending on what the person who wrote them decided to do. Understanding these storage options is your first step toward finding a copy.

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The most common locations for original or certified wills include the probate court in the county where the person lived. When someone dies, their will typically becomes part of the public record in the probate court. This is where executors file the will, and it's also where anyone can usually look it up. However, the will only shows up in probate court after someone dies—not before.

Many people keep their original wills at home in a safe, a filing cabinet, or a safe deposit box at a bank. Some folks give their original will to their attorney to keep in the law office's vault. Others might store it with a professional document storage company. If your will is in one of these private locations while you're alive, only you (or someone you specifically told) knows where it is.

A few states have created will registries—voluntary systems where you register that a will exists, though not the details of what's in it. As of recent years, fewer than 10 states have statewide registries. Some counties and bar associations offer local registries. These registries help people prove a will exists without having to guess where it's stored.

Estate attorneys and law firms sometimes keep copies of wills they prepared. If you worked with a lawyer to write your will, that firm likely has a copy on file. Executors named in wills should receive a copy from the person who wrote the will during that person's lifetime, though this doesn't always happen.

Practical takeaway: If you're looking for your own will, start by checking where you likely stored it—ask yourself whether you kept it at home, with a lawyer, or in a safe deposit box. If you're looking for someone else's will after they've passed, the probate court in their home county is the best starting point. If the will hasn't been filed with probate yet, contact the family, the deceased person's attorney, or the named executor.

How to Request a Copy of Your Own Will

Getting a copy of a will you wrote yourself involves retracing your steps and reaching out to the people or places involved in creating or storing it. This process is straightforward but requires some detective work and patience.

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Start by checking your personal records at home. Look through filing cabinets, desk drawers, and any safe you use. Check email for confirmations from attorneys or document services. Review your banking records—bank statements sometimes mention safe deposit boxes where important documents might be stored. Ask family members or trusted friends if they know where you kept it or if you told them about it.

If you worked with an estate planning attorney to create your will, contact that law firm. Provide your name and the approximate year the will was created. The firm's administrative staff can search their records. You may need to provide identification and may pay a small copying fee, though many firms provide copies at no charge to their clients. If you don't remember the attorney's name, ask family members or search your credit card statements and canceled checks from that time period.

If you used an online will-writing service like LegalZoom, Nolo, or others, log into your account on their website. Most of these services allow you to view and print your will from your user account. If you've lost your login information, use the "forgot password" feature or contact the company's customer service with proof of your identity.

If you filed your will with a local or state will registry, you can contact that registry directly. Search online for "[your county name] will registry" or "[your state name] will registry." The registry can confirm whether a will under your name is registered and may provide a copy or instructions for obtaining one.

If you stored your original will in a bank safe deposit box, contact the bank where you have the box. You'll need to go in person with identification and possibly with documents proving you have authority to access the box. The bank staff will open the box with you and retrieve your will.

Practical takeaway: Gather information about when and where you created your will before you start searching. Call or visit the most likely location first—usually the attorney's office or the bank. Have your identification ready and be prepared to answer questions that confirm you're the person who created the will.

Obtaining a Copy of a Deceased Person's Will

Finding a will after someone has passed away serves a crucial purpose—it tells everyone what the deceased person wanted and who they named to handle their estate. The process for getting a copy differs from finding your own will because the document becomes public record when a person dies.

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The primary resource is the probate court in the county where the deceased person lived at the time of death. Probate is the legal process that happens after someone dies. Once a will is filed with the court, it becomes available as a public record. You can visit the court in person, call, or sometimes search online through the court's website. Search by the deceased person's name, their death date (if you know it), or their case number if available.

Contact the probate court clerk's office and ask for the will records. You'll likely need to provide the deceased person's full name and approximate date of death. The court may provide a copy in person on the same day or by mail within days to weeks. There is typically a small fee for copies—often a few dollars per page. Some courts allow you to view the will for free without ordering a copy.

If the will hasn't been filed with probate yet, contact the executor (if you know who they are) or the deceased person's attorney. The executor is the person named in the will to manage the estate—they would have received a copy from the deceased person's attorney or kept among their personal papers. The attorney who drafted the will also has a copy.

Search the deceased person's home for the will among personal documents, or check with family members who might know where it's stored. Look in safes, safe deposit boxes, file cabinets, or sealed envelopes left with important papers. Some people leave a document with instructions about where their will can be found.

If the deceased person lived in a state with a will registry, contact that registry. A few states maintain registries that indicate whether a will was registered. The registry can help you locate it, though the registry itself doesn't store the actual will document.

Practical takeaway: If someone has recently died, start by contacting the probate court in their home county. If the will hasn't been filed there yet, reach out to family members and the person's attorney. Gather the deceased person's full name, date of death,