We get many calls from children who want to know where they can get a copy of their parent’s will or find out if they had life insurance.
First, if your parent is alive, you have no right to demand or see a copy of your parent’s will. While it would be a good idea for them to share it with their children there may be reasons why they have chosen not to.
If your parent is incapacitated, and you acting as the agent under a power of attorney or the guardian over the property, you may look for these documents in order to preserve your parents assets or provide for them. A guardian or agent must be careful to avoid taking actions that could be considered changing the beneficiaries. They may also not create a will for someone else.
If your parent has passed and their will is not able to be found you may look to see if your parent had any bank accounts where they may have a safe deposit box. See if they have any documents which indicate if they had an attorney. If you still cannot find the will, you may also check with financial advisors or stock brokers to see if they can help you find out who your parent’s lawyers was. Many people think that they can search the court records to find a parent’s will. In Florida, one can no longer file their will with the court before death.
There is no easy way to find out if your parent had life insurance unless you can find a copy of an old bill. To do this you might check their bank records over the last 12-24 months and continue to watch their incoming mail for tax statements and account updates.
If there is no will or a valid will cannot be found, Florida does have a system for distributing assets to the person’s surviving spouse, children, or other close family members. If you would like to learn more about probate in Florida, you may want to request the Florida Probate Handbook or contact us for more information.