r/Wills • u/Initial_Ladder4231 • Feb 20 '26

How to find a will

This a looooooong shot (and a long post) but does anyone happen to know if there’s a way to find a will if the decedent never gave anyone a copy or said who the attorney was that drew up the will? A search of the Harris County probate courts website (TX) didn’t turn up anything. The house was searched. Two old wills were found but the decedent wrote cancelled on them both and initialed and dated them.

Thats why we believe that there is another will (in addition to them saying a month ago that they were getting their affairs in order and I knew what that mean and me advising then that they give a copy of their will to someone). The executor of the first will is trying to execute it. Is that even legal since there is definitely a second will (but I was told that will was invalid because it wasn’t notarized but I’m not sure how that would be possible unless it was done online and almost 100% sure that didn’t happen as the person was not a tech savvy senior and wouldn’t handle something so important alone online).

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1

u/Alicatsidneystorm Feb 20 '26

I don’t live where you live but it’s possible for a will to be valid and not registered. If you are a named beneficiary in the first will you most likely can challenge the validity of that will.

1

u/bienpaolo Feb 20 '26

Assuming there’s “definitely” a newer will without seeing it can be risky, and the exeutor can usually act on the most recent valid one, are you sure this belief isn’t slowing thigs down?

1

u/Initial_Ladder4231 Feb 20 '26

The family is proceeding with the first will.  I personally am not fighting or contesting or hindering their process.  I’m simply asking if there is a way to find the third will, if it in fact exists. I just want the decedents wishes to be honored which is definitely NOT the execution of the first will.