Probating An Estate: Do I Need The Original Will And Where Can I Find It?
It is not required in Texas that you have the original will. However, using the original will to probate makes things much easier. The process is simpler when the will is the original one. You can probate a copy but that's not the preferred way that you would probate an estate. Typically people keep their original wills in wherever they would keep important documents. Safety deposit box, a fireproof safe in the house. Maybe, unfortunately sometimes, in a shoe box in the top of the closet. But usually it's kept in the testator's house or in a bank.
By
Keith Morris & Stacy Kelly, Attorneys at Law
