Wills and Public Record

[donadenese]

California and Nevada

Does a Last Will and Testament ever become a matter of Public Record? If so, when, where, and how might it be accessed?

 

[anteater]

When it is submitted for probate.

At the court handling the probate case. Except in some possible rare cases, that is in the county where the deceased resided when the deceased passed away.

By visiting the court and asking to see the probate case file. Or by calling and asking if a copy of the file can be made and mailed.

 

[nextwife]

There are also many cases in which nobody submits the will for probate. I deal with default real estate, and we often have situations in which a family member just squats in a decedant's home, not making the mortgage payments, until it goes through foreclosure, forcing the lender to file special administration in the absence of a will or access to the decedant's assets. Or they just keep making the mortgage payments and never submit the will.