Where are original wills kept? Are they filed with the Court?
People sometimes think that a will is a public document, or that if they need to locate a relative’s will, they can get it from the courthouse. This is not correct. Your will is a private document. When you leave our office, you take with you your original will and as many copies of it as you need. It is up to you to keep your original will in a safe place such as a safety deposit box, a home safe, or some other place where you keep your important papers such as life insurance policies. We recommend that you give a copy of your will to the person you designate as the personal representative and that you also give copies to your children or other heirs and ask them to keep the will with their important papers. We will also keep a copy in our files. Upon your death, the personal representative must file the original will with the Clerk of the Probate Court, and only then does it become a public record.
