MISSING WILL SEARCH

Locating a missing will through the registry involves a simple search tapping into a national database that stores the location of a will and final estate documents.  The orginal and duplicate copy of a will, or living will, may be held with an attorney, an institution, a friend, or at home.  A will registered in The U.S. Will Registry identifies where those documents have been stored. 

Who registers a Will?  Attorneys, the public and nursing homes.  Will registration is free to insure all end of life estate planning documents are registered.  The U.S. Will Registry has registrations dated back to 1987.

Here’s how the search process works:

Step 1: Search by name and birthdate of the deceased

Step 2: If a match is found, then verification is necessary for further information to be disclosed. For this, a death certificate and photo ID is required. Once that is obtained, the location of the will, or name of the attorney who prepared the will is released. 

Step 3: If the registry does not produce a match, that isn't the end of the process. There is still hope to find a lost will. The searchers and deceased's information is entered into a "Missing Will Database." Registered attorneys can search this database, letting them know that loved ones are looking for a potentially lost will. If a will exists, the lawyer can reach out and provide the appropriate information.

"My family had no idea who the attorney was that drafted my Dads Will.  Thankfully his attorney registered the will and we were able to locate it through the registry".  S. Pollak

"Our grandmother gave her will to a friend of hers. When we preformed a search in The U.S. Will Registry 14 years later, we were able to see who to contact for a copy of her will. So thankful."  D. Hall

The U.S. Will Registry makes finding a missing will easy.