Who keeps the original copy of a will

Can I keep a copy of my will? Does probate keep original will? Should my lawyer Keep my original will or should I? Is a copy of a will valid?

Your Attorney If you had an attorney draw up your will, she would maintain a copy of it, but your executor will need to submit the original will to probate court. You can leave the original with her as well, but there are drawbacks to this.

The client would fill out a form with the client’s and the Executor’s contact information, and the Court keeps the original Will forever. It is not kept as a public document, and no one is allowed to review it until someone shows up at the Courthouse with the client’s death certificate. If a grant has been made, they will send you a copy of the grant and a copy of the will, if any.

You can renew your search at the end of months for a further fee. Print two copies of the contract. You sign both and your client signs both. Then each of you gets one.

A solicitor doesn t have any legal obligation to have kept a copy of the Power of Attorney.

They are only obliged to do what their client has asked them to do, i. First, there isno central place for wills to be kept. Secon if you have the original will, it should be offered for probate by you. Thir if you do not have the original will, file a petition to probate a copy of the will. Fourth, the fact that the lawyer who prepared is deceased is irrelevant.

If a solicitor writes your will, they will usually store the original free of charge and give you a copy – but ask them to make sure. Most solicitors will also store a will they didn’t write, but there will probably be a fee. Pros: Solicitors are regulated so if the will is lost or damaged you have recourse to make things right.

Having your attorney keep the original copy of your will can be beneficial if you are sure you will be retaining the same attorney or law firm for the remainder of your life. Once a grant of representati on (probate) has been issued a will becomes a public document, which anyone can obtain a copy of (for a tenner). When filling a copy of a Will you must provide the court with an affidavit from at least one of the witnesses that signed the will (Georgia requires two witnesses).

Scans, photocopies and computer records are not legally valid because they don’t have your original signature on them. An original will stored by you is the property of the client and after the client's death, it is the property of the estate. The original Will is your only Will and must be kept safely. You should store the original will until after the death of the client, or until you are able to return the original to the client.

Solicitors do not usually charge a fee to keep a Will and will usually give you a copy for your records. You do not have to tell your family members or friends that you have a Will, or what is in it, if you do not wish to.

However, it is recommended that you do let some people know that you have a Will and the whereabouts of the original document. A Last Will is a private document and while the testator is still alive, in general, no one other than the testator is entitled to see a copy of the Will. In particular, solicitors and professional Will writers are under a duty to keep their clients’ affairs confidential.

For an estate to be administered in accordance with the terms of the final Will of the decease the original Will is sent to the Probate Registry who will then issue a Grant of Probate to the executors. But what if the original Will cannot be found? The deceased may have recently moved. Each copy of a probate record ordered online costs £1.

Start now Before you start. A solicitor who drafts a will keeps a copy on file because of the frequency with which wills kept by the deceased go missing. If there is some problem over tracing the will , the copy kept by the.

Oh, and he is the one who drew up her will, also.