There are many situations in which you may need to obtain a copy of a last Will and Testament in Michigan. If you need a copy of a person’s Will for legal reasons, or if you are curious about learning the contents of a Will, you might be able to see the Will simply by making a request to do so.
The location and the legal status of the Will are two factors that may influence whether you are able to obtain a copy of the Will. If you are curious about seeing a living person’s Will, the best way to accomplish this is by seeking the permission of the individual who created the Will. A Will is a private document and no one can be forced to share it, however, anyone who has created their own Will and wishes to share it with their loved ones may do so.
When you are seeking out a deceased person’s Will, you should check safe deposit boxes, files, storage places and home safes to identify where the deceased individual kept these important documents.
A deceased family member might also have worked directly with an estate planning attorney that you are not familiar with, so it’s advisable to look around the household for letterhead or business cards that could help point you in the right direction.
If you have already searched a deceased family member’s home and common storage places and are still unable to locate a Will, there are specific procedures that you must follow in order to obtain a copy of the Will from the probate court. However, this is only possible if the Will was in fact filed with the probate court in the county in which the deceased individual lived, the court will open the Will, making it a matter of public record.
The probate court file number can help point you in the right direction, and the executor of the estate can give you this information. You can also contact the local courthouse to learn more about this process. Schedule a consultation with a trusted estate planning lawyer to collect further information about how to create your own estate planning documents and obtain a copy of a Will.