How do I get a copy of a dead person's last will and testament?

Wills are recorded with the Register of Wills of the county in which
the will went to probate.

Wills only become public after they are entered into court.

If you wish me to find the address of the a specific register of
wills, please submit a request for answer clarification.

Nellie Bly

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Request for Answer Clarification by rickee-ga on 19 Nov 2002 09:30 PST

This answer tells me "where" to get the will, which certainly helps,
but it doesn't really tell me "how" as I asked. I gather from the
comments that I get in touch with this Registrar, but is there more to
it than that? Is there a fee? Do I fill out a form? One of the
comments asked where the death occured. It was San Antonio, Bexar
County, Texas, in February, 1996.

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Clarification of Answer by nellie_bly-ga on 19 Nov 2002 11:51 PST

To get a copy of a will from the Bexar County Probate Court, you must
first ask for a name search to determine the case number of the will
in question.

You can do this by writing a letter to the Baxar County Probate Court,
100 Dolorosa, San Antonio,Texas 78201.  Request and "name search" and
enclose a check for $5.00 made out to the Bexar County Clerk and a
self-addressed stamped envelope.

When you have the case number, you can telephone the court at
210-335-2241 and determine how much it will cost for copies based on a
fee of $1 per page and an additional fee of $5 per document if you
want certified results.  Once this is accomplished, you then mail a
check for the appropriate amount.

You may also take these steps by going to the probate court offices.

Note that the name of the office where wills go is different in
different states. Obviously, the same is true of different countries.

In Ohio, you would need to go to the county probate court.

Please mention the city and state where the death occurred so that
someone can look up the county court address and phone number for you.
 It helps if you also know the decedent's name and month and year of
death, so if you don't have that information, post it here so that
that information can also be located for you.  If the probate court
clerk knows the month and year of death, it helps them more easily
search their records to zero in on the exact file.

SINCERELY,
4keith-ga (Probate Researcher)