What To Do When Someone Dies
Locate estate planning documents, such as a will or living trust.
How to locate estate planning documents when someone dies
While many individuals specify where to find their wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents during their lifetimes or leave a copy with relatives or the people named executor or trustee, a surprising number of people neglect to do so.
Where to look
If you believe your loved one prepared and finalized an estate planning document but you can't find it after death, there are a number of places to look -- from the obvious to the less so -- including:
- Desk drawers, file cabinets, closets in a home and office, computer files.
- Safe-deposit boxes.
- The local probate court, where it might have been filed.
If the deceased hired an attorney to help with legal matters, you might also consider contacting that legal office. And if you don't know of a lawyer your loved one would have been likely to hire, consider requesting information about the estate planning documents in local legal publications. To locate these publications, contact the local and state bar associations.
