Are Probated Wills Public Record?
Full transcript:
Are probated wills public record?
Yes, in New York they are.
Go to the county where the person passed away and each county courthouse will have a records room or a bank of computers where you can pretty easily search by last name, date of death, file number, or many other search parameters to figure out and find the file of the person who passed away.
And in each file, there will be a PDF folder where you can quickly look at a scanned version of the will, and for I think 25 cents a page, print a copy for yourself.
If you’re concerned about your privacy, well let me just point this out.
This is not something that anyone can access from home or with an internet connection.
You have to actually come down to the courthouse, stand on line, go through the security metal detectors, so although it’s public, it is a pain, and it’s not something that anyone can access willy nilly from their couch or from their work computer.
Hope you found this helpful. Take care.
[Previously posted on YouTube]
Contact Us for a Free Consultation
Involved with a probate estate? Writing your will? Pick up a copy of my book:
Questions answered in the book:
- How long does probate take?
- How are estate debts paid?
- Why being an executor can be difficult
- Click here to see all the questions.
A testimonial from a reader:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “As I begin down this path with my parent’s estate, I found this resource very helpful. While the task before me now seems even more daunting than before, it’s more of an informed weight as I have an idea of what’s coming and how much it will require of me. It’s no longer the mysterious unknown that feels overwhelming, but a process that I can work through one piece at a time.”
