Locating the will after a loved one passes away

When a loved one passes away in Ohio, families need time to grieve and recover from their loss. However, there are legal obligations that survivors need to fulfil as well. One of the first is to find out whether or not the deceased left a legitimate will behind.

According to MarketWatch, there are several ways to discover if there is a will or not, though there is no guarantee of success. The first is to ask the people closest to the deceased. The second potential solution is to contact the probate court in the county that has jurisdiction over the person’s death. Find out if there is a will on file. Family members may need the deceased’s full name and the date they passed away.

If the court or close family members fail to provide an answer, it may be possible to contact financial advisers and attorneys. These are the two most likely people a deceased person may have reached out to for drafting their final estate plans. These professionals may also have information on life insurance policies, property deeds, retirement accounts and bank accounts. One final professional to contact is the deceased’s employer as some plans could have been provided as a benefit at work. This may be true even if the deceased has been retired for several years.

Business Insider notes that if there is no will, or rather, the heirs are unable to find one, state law decides who gets what. If the deceased was married, how much their surviving spouse becomes entitled to depends on what accounts or property they owned jointly and whether or not it is a community-property state.

This article shares information on locating a will. It should not be misconstrued as or used in place of legal or financial advice.