Who can legally see someone else’s will?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Who can legally see someone else’s will?
I work at a homeless shelter, and one of my clients explained to me
that her mother passed away a few years ago and she left a will. My
client’s sister had power of attorney at the time of her death and has
never let my client see the will. They are not on good terms, but I
would like to know if there is any legal ground for her to demand to
see the will although her sister has not made it available to her.
Asked on November 30, 2018 under Estate Planning, Washington
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
First of all, if the Will has been entered into probate, it is know a matterof public record. So your client (or any one else for that matter), is entitled to see a copy of the Will. If it has not yet been entered for probate, your client still has right to see it since, as a child of the deceased, they are what is known as an "interested party". Here is a link to an article that will explain further: https://law.freeadvice.com/estate_planning/wills/will-copy.htm
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.