To find out if a will exists for free online, search the probate court’s case index in the county where the person lived when they died. Once a will is filed after death, it becomes a public record, and many county courts let you search their index by name at no cost. Two things have to be true for this to work: someone has to have filed the will with the court, and that court has to have put its records online. When either piece is missing, the search takes a little more work, but there are still free ways to get an answer.
What You Need Before You Start
Court databases only return results when you give them the right inputs. Three pieces of information will carry almost any search:
- The person’s full legal name, including middle name or suffix. Nicknames and shortened names generally won’t match court records.
- The date of death, or at least the year. Most search portals let you filter by date range, which matters when the name is common.
- The county where the person lived at the time of death. Wills are filed in the probate court for that county. A last known city or ZIP code is enough to identify it.
If you don’t have a date of death, the Social Security Administration keeps death records containing the name, date of birth, and date of death, and a version of that data is licensed to genealogy platforms.1Social Security Administration. Requesting SSA’s Death Information The SSA data is not comprehensive, so a missing entry doesn’t prove someone is still alive.
Searching the County Probate Court Website
Go to the website for the probate court or county clerk in the county where the person lived. Look for a case search, docket search, or public records portal, and search by the deceased person’s name. What you see depends on the court. Large urban counties tend to have searchable indexes going back decades, and some have digitized the actual documents so you can view or download the will itself. Smaller and rural counties may show only recent cases, or nothing online at all.
Viewing the index is typically free. If a case comes up, the entry will usually confirm that a will was filed and give you the case number, the date, and the name of the executor or personal representative. Getting a certified copy of the will generally costs between $5 and $20, depending on the court and the length of the document. For most purposes, viewing the will online or asking for an uncertified copy is enough to confirm it exists and see what it says.
If the county’s site has no online search, that doesn’t mean the will isn’t there. It means you’ll need to call or visit the clerk’s office to find out.
Free Genealogy Databases for Older Records
For deaths that happened years or decades ago, genealogy platforms fill gaps that county sites often leave. FamilySearch.org hosts digitized probate records from many U.S. counties, organized by state and county.2FamilySearch. United States Probate Records The collection leans toward older historical records rather than recent filings. Some FamilySearch probate collections require access through a FamilySearch Center or an affiliated library, both of which are free to use.
Ancestry.com hosts similar collections, though full access requires a paid subscription. Both platforms are most useful when the death happened long enough ago for the records to have been microfilmed and digitized, typically 20 years or more.
Using Obituaries as a Lead
An obituary won’t contain the will, but it often points you at one. Obituaries sometimes name the executor, mention the law firm handling the estate, or list family members who would know where the will was filed. If the person lived in more than one place, an obituary usually clarifies their final residence, which tells you which probate court to search. Legacy.com, newspaper archive sites, and individual newspaper websites host large searchable obituary collections. A search combining the person’s name and the word “obituary” often turns up something within seconds.
Why a Search Might Come Up Empty
Finding nothing online doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no will. Three situations account for most empty results.
The Estate Used a Living Trust
If the person set up a living trust and moved their assets into it during their lifetime, those assets pass to beneficiaries without going through probate. The trust document is private and never becomes a public record. Some people with living trusts also sign a pour-over will, which sends any leftover assets into the trust. A pour-over will does go through probate, but it usually just names the trust as the beneficiary and reveals little about who inherits what. If you think the person had a trust, the trustee is who to contact, not the probate court.
The Will Hasn’t Been Filed Yet
Probate doesn’t start on its own. Someone has to open the case, and that can take weeks or months after a death, especially with a complicated estate or an unsettled question about who should serve as executor. Most states require whoever holds the will to deliver it to the court or to a person who can file it, with deadlines ranging from about 30 days to several years depending on the state.3Florida Probate Litigation. Uniform Probate Code – Section 2-516 If the death was recent, checking again in a few months is worth doing.
The Will Is Somewhere Else
Original wills sometimes sit in desk drawers, home safes, or bank safe deposit boxes for a long time before anyone locates them. A will in a safe deposit box can be hard to reach: you may need the will to be appointed executor, but you may need to be the executor to open the box. Most states have a procedure that lets a family member ask the court for limited access to search the box for the will and burial instructions, typically by presenting the death certificate and either proof of appointment or a court order.
When the Free Online Route Runs Out
If the court website has nothing and the genealogy databases don’t help, a few offline moves are still free or close to it.
- Call the probate court clerk. Staff can search records that aren’t online, and many will do a quick name search over the phone at no charge.
- Contact the attorney who drafted the will, if you know who it was. Lawyers often keep copies or know where the original is stored. Legal fee payments in the person’s financial records can help identify the firm.
- Ask close family and friends. People sometimes tell someone where the will is kept or who they’ve named as executor.
- Check other counties. If the person moved late in life or owned property elsewhere, probate can end up in a county you wouldn’t expect.
If you have reason to believe a will exists and can’t find it, an estate attorney can take the search further, including contacting banks about safe deposit boxes and filing a court petition to compel anyone holding the will to deliver it.
If No Will Is Ever Found
When no will turns up, the estate is treated as intestate, and state law decides who inherits. The default order usually starts with a surviving spouse and children, then extends to parents, siblings, and more distant relatives.4Legal Information Institute. Intestate Succession Unmarried partners, stepchildren, close friends, and charities receive nothing under intestacy rules unless a valid will is produced. The court appoints an administrator rather than an executor the person would have chosen. If you’re searching because you think you’re a beneficiary, whether or not the will surfaces can change the outcome substantially.