How to Find Out if there is a Will
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Anonymous
| I'm from a fairly dysfunctional family. My dad's parents both passed over 20 years ago. Recently, however, I've become curious about whether they had a will. It isn't as simple as asking my dad. Half of what he tells me turns out to be false later on, its just a matter of whether he intended to mislead me or was just delusional himself. I'm not after money, and frankly even if my grandparents left me or my siblings any trinkets I'm sure my dad threw them out or sold them long ago. I'd just like to know as I do know that at one point my grandmother put slips of paper with the names of her grandchildren on all the heirloom furniture to designate who should get what (not that slips of paper are legally binding, of course, and would have been lost anyway). There was also family jewelry from my grandmother which was traditional for women in my family to wear. My mom tells me it wasn't worth much, but it has sentimental value. When my siblings and I asked my dad about it before we each got married, my dad said it was lost. Several years after our marriages, some of it has shown up on dad's current wife. "Look at this lovely necklace from "mom" that your dad gave to me!" (Yes, dad's current wife refers to my grandmother as "mom" even though current wife was married to her first husband when my grandmother died.) Again, not after money, but am hopeful that the grandparents intended specific things for me and my siblings. In all honestly, if I discovered a will I would ask my dad about specific items, but without any expectation he would actually produce them, and I'd leave it at that. |
Anonymous
| DH looked into an inheritance issue and found the things he needed online. But I think it depends on the county. I would start there. |
Anonymous
| I think this is one of the main reasons that wills need to be public information. |
Anonymous
| I don't think there is any peace to come from knowing. I would try and forget and know in your heart your grandparents loved you and thought of you. |
Anonymous
This. |
Anonymous
| Agree. No point in pursuing this without a chance of material gain. |
Anonymous
| If a will was ever probated, the information will be public, but it may not be online, depending on where the probate occurred. Probate generally occurs wherever the decedent last resided. Start with the court of jurisdiction in that area and request the file. You may have to pay for it. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thank you PP. |
Anonymous
|
If there was a legally acknowledged will, everyone mentioned in it would have been personally notified of its existence. DH was mentioned in a relative's will as a secondary beneficiary and he was notified via registered mail even though he received nothing from the estate.
Chances are that your father's parents did not have a will so he received the entire estate by default as the next of kin. |
Anonymous
This would be true if the executor did things by the book. But it sounds like that might not have happened in this case. |