How to find out if Dad had will
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How to find out if Dad had will
Father died this past week and hadn’t seen him
in a while. The other side of family won’t tell me
and my brothers if he had a will or if so if we
are in it.
Asked on August 20, 2017 under Estate Planning, Tennessee
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
You can check to see if a Will was entered into probate. If it was, then it is a matter of public record, so you (or anyone else for that matter) has a right to see it. If one has not but you can determine that in fact one exists, you can still obtain a copy. This is because legally you are what is called an "interested party". This is someone who would inherit if there is no Will, pursuant to something known as "intestate succession". Therefore, since whether or not there is a Will affects your rights, you have a stake or "standing" sufficient to give you the right to bring a legal action to view the Will. If in fact, it is determined that your father did not have a Will, then he died "intestate" which means that as his heir you are entitled to a portion of his estate as deterined by the intestacy laws of the state in which he was domiciled as of the date of his death.
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