How to Find the Lawyer Who Wrote a Will?

The first thing that most people think about when someone dies without a will is to find the lawyer who wrote a will. But sometimes, the family members know the name of the lawyer but cannot trace them. In other situations, they have no idea who it was. This article outlines what you should do in either case to find a lawyer who wrote a will.

The Purpose of Locating the Lawyer Who Wrote a Will

It is important to ensure that you are working with the right person when it comes to legal matters. Finding out who drafted a will is vital for several reasons. Firstly, the lawyer who originally created the will may very well know what was in it and why. Having access to a lawyer who drafted your will can help resolve any legal issues that may arise after one’s death promptly and efficiently.

Search Personal Records

When trying to find out who drew up your last testament, there are certain steps you can take. First, go through any documents relating to the will, such as copies or letters containing contact details of that attorney. The name of the attorney should appear on this document if it is a copy of a validly executed will. In case there aren’t any records available, consult family members or friends who might point you in right direction concerning this particular attorney’s identity. They might provide necessary tips for further investigations or even lead toward finding another solicitor nearby in case they knew about them before.. Moreover, review financial documentation and other legal papers because sometimes these contain names of lawyers or firms which dealt with matters previously related to yours Finally if everything has been futile consider hiring an investigator privately

Locating the Attorney Responsible

1. Check with the Local Probate Court

Visit or contact the probate court in the county where the deceased last lived:

• • If probate has started, the will may already be filed with the court.

  • You can request to view the case file, which typically lists the attorney of record or preparer of the will.

2. Ask the Executor or Personal Representative

If you know who the executor is:

• • Ask if they know which attorney drafted the will.

  • Executors often worked directly with the attorney during estate planning or were told where the will was stored.

3. Review the Will (If You Have a Copy)

If you have access to the will:

• • Look for a law firm’s letterhead, signature block, or notary seal.

  • Attorneys often include their name and contact information on the last page or in an attached affidavit.

4. Contact Local Law Firms

If you suspect the will was created locally but don’t know which firm:

• • Call local estate planning or elder law attorneys in the area.

  • Ask if they created a will for the deceased. They may not confirm without proper documentation (such as a death certificate and proof of relationship), but it’s a valid starting point.

5. Check Paperwork Left Behind

Search the deceased’s:

• • Filing cabinets, desk drawers, safe deposit box, or cloud folders

  • Look for invoices, letters, or retainer agreements from an attorney or law office

6. Ask Family or Trusted Friends

The deceased may have told a friend or relative which attorney they used. Many people share this information even if they don’t share the contents of the will.

7. Search The U.S. Will Registry

You can also try searching The U.S. Will Registry. It contains millions of registered wills that can be searched against each other. Each registration indicates where original and duplicate copies of a will might be found, noting whether it belongs to a lawyer, institution (e.g., bank), friends, or home.

If no registration is found, the registry sends an email blast to all lawyers in their system. The email asks for help finding unaccounted-for registrations. This way, the registry proactively engages lawyers practicing in the area. This increases the chances of finding wills that were not initially registered.

Start your search for a missing will

Check the Safe Deposit Box

If you do not know if they ever hired an attorney, check whether the deceased maintained a safe deposit box. People often store important papers such as wills and estate planning documents in safe deposit boxes. If you know which banks they had accounts with, speak with a branch manager about any possible existence of a safe deposit box. You can legally access it and look for a will if it exists there, according to legal steps that must be followed.

Review Bank Statements

Another option is to search your bank statements for any payments made to law firms recently. If there are payments, you might want to contact the firm to see if they were providing estate planning services. They may refuse to say anything unless you were named either as an executor in a will or as a beneficiary of the deceased. When they know about the death, the executor will begin dealing with them. Before these papers go before any lawyer, the will shall be taken to probate court. After being probated, a will becomes a public record and open for examination.

Seek Professional Help

Next, ask the Secretary of State in whose office this document was authenticated. Find out if there were other notary publics who witnessed the deceased person signing off.

Sometimes lawyers’ offices have a notary on staff, making it easier. Even if you are a beneficiary and biologically unrelated to the decedent, the notary may help you find out who represented the decedent.

Final Words: Consider All Situations

If you cannot trace the attorney who drafted the will or find a copy of it, there might be other steps to take. Courts may assume there was no Last Will or that it was purposely destroyed by its maker to revoke it. Under these circumstances, your state’s intestate succession laws would control how the deceased’s assets are divided. A statutory scheme specifies which members inherit what fraction when someone dies intestate. Sometimes, courts will accept duplicate wills before issuing probate orders when the original can’t be traced.