Finding a Missing Will
Locating a missing will through The U.S. Will Registry involves a simple search. This search taps into a national database that stores the location of a will and final estate documents.
Both the original and the duplicate copies of a will may be held with an attorney, an institution, a friend, or at home. A will registered with The U.S. Will Registry identifies where those documents have been stored. The U.S. Will Registry has registrations dated back to 1987.
Who registers a Will?
Finding a missing will with The U.S. Will Registry occurs in the following steps.
Steps for finding a Missing Will
- Search by name and birthdate of the deceased
- If a match is found, then verification is necessary for further information to be disclosed. For this, a death certificate and photo ID are required. Once that is obtained, the will’s location (or the name of the attorney who prepared the will) is released.
- If the registry does not produce a match, that isn't the end of the process. The appropriate 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.
We Help Real People, Just Like You.
The U.S. Will Registry makes finding a will easy. Take it from the people we have been able to help.
"My family had no idea who the attorney was that drafted my dad’s 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 performed 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)
To search our national database for a missing Will, please fill out the below form.
