What do i do to find out if my mom has a will
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What do i do to find out if my mom has a will
Mom passed 2 months ago and I don’t know
if she had a will or not
Asked on December 1, 2018 under Estate Planning, Texas
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
There is no real way to find out if there is a will if one was never filed--and one probably was not filed, since wills only have to filed when someone probates them after the testator (person making the will) passes away. You can and should check her papers or files, ask her family and friends, contact her lawyer and accountant (if she had them and you know who they are), look in a safe deposit box, etc. but ultimately, whether or not she ever made a will, if you can never locate it, it may has well have never been made. A will must be found to be probated; and as stated, since it does not have to be filed in advance, if you can't locate a will, either there is none or it is lost.
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