how do i find out if someone had a lawyer

If you don't know the name of the decedent’s attorney, you should ask family members and friends if the decedent might have had an attorney. If they don’t know, search the decedent’s personal belongings for either a will or any evidence of dealings with an attorney or a law firm. You should search the decedent’s:

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How to find an excellent lawyer?

Jun 11, 2014 · Posted on Jun 11, 2014. Not sure if this is really an intellectual property question, since you are only asking about how to find out who their lawyer is. Here are a few suggestions: 1. If they have ever been involved in a lawsuit, their …

How to choose the right lawyer?

On the lawyer’s certificate, check for a particular agency that provided the certification. For example, there may be a state agency that grants certification or accreditation for mediation services or other types of practice areas. Contact the agency directly and provide as much information as you have about the attorney to check on this status.

What to do if you hate being a lawyer?

May 10, 2013 · You have to scour all the place where he stored or kept documents and hope to find something. Look at his banking records and checks if he kept them and see if you can see any payments to any law firms. You could also try placing an add in a local law publication and hope that the drafting attorney sees it.

How to find the right lawyer for your needs?

Search any files you find for the name of a lawyer or law firm that represented the deceased. Copy any information you find. Call the contact telephone numbers that were listed for the attorneys whose names you found in the court records.If the telephone numbers are invalid, call the state bar association for the state in which the lawyers practiced and ask to speak to the person in …

How to determine if a lawyer is a graduate of a law school?

To determine whether the lawyer is a graduate from an accredited law school, contact the law school directly and ask the school representative whether the school was accredited at the time that the lawyer received his or her juris doctor degree.

What to do if you have accreditation from another entity?

If the accreditation is from another entity, conduct an online search for that particular type of accreditation to see if there is an authority that can provide you with more information on the accreditation.

What do attorneys provide to the chamber of commerce?

Like the Better Business Bureaus, attorneys might provide information about their license, certifications and accreditations to the chamber of commerce. Check your local chamber for this information. Some communities have search tools to use on their websites to make this process easier.

Can a lawyer advertise that they are certified?

While lawyers may focus in particular areas, state ethic rules regarding professional conduct generally prohibit lawyers from advertising that they are “certified” or that they “specialize” in particular areas unless they receive such certification from a particular agency, such as the state bar. If you would like to ensure ...

Does each state have a bar association?

Each state has a bar association that regulates the practice of law . Accreditation may be provided to certain attorneys of the state by that state’s bar association. For other types of accreditation, approval from the state bar association may be required even if the bar association itself does not provide for the specific type of accreditation.

Kelly Scott Davis

You may have mistaken his comment to mean he "had all his affairs in order" when he actually meant that he was mentally and spiritually ready for what was to come. However, your probate attorney will advertise in the local Bar associations to try to a) locate his estate planning attorney, or b) see if anyone can recall where the will might be.

Carol Anne Johnson

I agree with Mr. Zelinger Unfortunately there is no registery or other way to track the Will down. You have to scour all the place where he stored or kept documents and hope to find something. Look at his banking records and checks if he kept them and see if you can see any...

Charles Adam Shultz

Hard to say where his will is. This is an issue for many people.

How to help a deceased person?

Ask them if they know about events in the deceased's life that would have required legal representation, like an arrest or a lawsuit. Follow up on any leads.

What is a state bar ad?

Place an ad that asks any lawyer who represented the deceased to contact you, and list your email address, your telephone number, and your postal address .

What documents require notarization?

Signatures on deeds, divorce settlement agreements and affidavits are examples of documents that require notarization. If the deceased's signature was notarized, that means that he signed the document before a notary public.

What to do if you don't know the name of the decedent's attorney?

If you don't know the name of the decedent’s attorney, you should ask family members and friends if the decedent might have had an attorney. If they don’t know, search the decedent’s personal belongings for either a will or any evidence of dealings with an attorney or a law firm. You should search the decedent’s:

How to find someone's will?

How to Find Someone’s Will in Public Records or Probate Court. If the decedent’s will is already filed with the court, or if probate has already been completed, then the decedent’s will becomes a public record preserved by the court. This means that the decedent’s will is accessible to anyone who wants to see it.

What is a will registry?

A will registry is a service that a person uses after writing a will.

Why do you need to find a will?

There are a number of reasons why you may need to find a will: You want to know whether you can file the will in court to begin the probate process. You want to find out if the will has already been probated after death. You know the court has already probated the will, but you want to see what property was left and to whom that person left it.

What happens if a client dies and wants to change the will?

If the client ever wants to change or revoke terminate the will before they die, the attorney will have the most recent valid will to work with. If the client dies, the attorney will know who the executor is ( the executor is the person named in the will to handle the estate of the decedent).

How to find a will in a house?

If you're sure the will isn't in the home, here's how to find a will in six steps: Contact their attorney. Search a will registry.

What happens if someone close to you dies?

When someone writes a will, it ’s usually given to an attorney, stored in a safe place or hidden.

Where to check power of attorney?

Check the power of attorney records at the register or recorder of deeds in the county where the individual who created the instrument resides. In some states a power of attorney can be filed with the register or recorder of deeds. However, this is not the common practice today.

How to verify a power of attorney?

Verify the authenticity of the power of attorney document presented to you. In many states, a power of attorney must be notarized. The presence of a notary's stamp and signature is usually enough evidence that the power is a legitimate document. If you're concerned, run an internet search for the notary and ask him or her to verify that the stamp on the document is the notary's official seal. Contacting witnesses is another avenue to explore. Often, powers of attorney bear the signature of an independent witness who watched the principal sign the power. See if you can contact the witness – the address should be written beneath the witness's signature – and ask if she remembers attending the signing.

What happens if a power of attorney is not authentic?

If a power of attorney does not appear authentic to you, and you cannot independently verify its authentic ity, do not transact business with the purported agent. If the power of attorney turns out to be fraudulent, you can be held liable for any losses sustained by the alleged grantor through the transaction.

What is a notary signature line?

Types of Notarial Acts. A power of attorney is an instrument that a person uses to grant authority to an agent to act on his or her behalf. The two different types of instruments are health care and financial powers of attorneys. A third party preparing to transact business or take action in reliance on a power ...

What does a third party need to know about a power of attorney?

A third party preparing to transact business or take action in reliance on a power of attorney needs to verify who really does have authority under such an instrument to make decisions for another person.

Who is the grantor of a power of attorney?

The grantor is the individual who drafted and executed the power of attorney. Though this might seem to defeat the purpose of designating an agent to act on behalf of a grantor via a power of attorney, the typical grantor appreciates a third party taking the time to confirm the authenticity of a power of attorney.

Who is Mike Broemmel?

Mike Broemmel began writing in 1982. He is an author/lecturer with two novels on the market internationally, "The Shadow Cast" and "The Miller Moth.". Broemmel served on the staff of the White House Office of Media Relations.

How to find out if someone has a will?

You have several options to find out if someone had a will: 1 Ask family members and friends. Many times after someone executes a will, they give the original will to a close friend or family member for safekeeping. Or, they might tell a friend or family member that they have made a will, what that will generally says, and where they have the will stored. 2 Contact their attorney. If you know that the decedent used a certain attorney, either to draft the will or for some other purpose, you can call the attorney and ask if they prepared a will for the decedent. The attorney might not tell you what the will says, but they will likely disclose whether a will was prepared. 3 Look through their house. Do not limit yourself to the decedent’s desk or where you think they kept important papers. Sometimes people hide their wills to keep them “safe.” Wills have been found behind furniture, inside walls, under mattresses, in freezers, and even inside vehicles. The point is, look everywhere to find out if someone has a will in their home. 4 Attempt to access safe deposit boxes. Many people maintain a safe deposit box at a bank, and keep important documents and items in the box. If you know where the decedent banked, contact the bank and ask if they had a safe deposit box.

How to find out if a decedent is a resident of a county?

Determine in what county the decedent resided. A decedent’s estate is probated in the county where the decedent was a resident. Go to the clerk of court website for that county and look up decedent’s name. Most courts have a website. You can likely find it by typing in something like: “ ( name of county, state) clerk of court.”.

What is a document in probate court?

File a document in the probate court entitling you to notice when someone tries to open the decedent’s estate. In many states, if you are interested in being notified when someone tries to open up a probate for a decedent, you can file a document entitling you to notice. For example, in Florida, this document is called a caveat .

What happens if you can't find a will?

If you cannot find a will among the decedent’s possessions or filed with the court, this does not mean that no will exists. The decedent could have used an attorney that you are not familiar with, and the attorney may have the will. Eventually, when the attorney learns of the decedent’s death, the attorney will be required to file any original will ...

Can you find someone's will after death?

Not unless they are filed with the court, which happens after death. Just because someone makes a will, does not mean that you will be able to find it in the public records. People do not file their wills with the court during their lifetimes. Other people file someone’s will after that person’s death.

Does not finding a will mean it is not going to be filed?

Just because you did not find a will filed when you first looked on the clerk of court website, does not mean that will is not going to be filed. You can regularly monitor the clerk of court website for any will filed, or probate opened, in decedent’s name.

Can an attorney tell you what a will says?

The attorney might not tell you what the will says, but they will likely disclose whether a will was prepared. Look through their house. Do not limit yourself to the decedent’s desk or where you think they kept important papers. Sometimes people hide their wills to keep them “safe.”.

How to find out if a deceased person has a will?

How to Find Out If a Deceased Person Had a Will. Rarely do people talk about where they keep their wills. To satisfy creditors and settle an estate or trust, a number of documents become necessary. A key document is the person's last will and testament. Usually, if a document marked "Will" or "Last Will and Testament" does not occupy ...

Where can I get a copy of my will?

The attorney must file the will with the probate court , where you can obtain a copy. 3. Obtain permission to check secure spots. If you know there's a will, but you've cleaned out everything and still can't find it, it could be at the bank in a safe deposit box.

What happens if a person dies without a will?

If the deceased person never made a will at all, state law directs the distribution of property to the creditors and claimants. Sometimes, a person dies without telling anyone the location of their will. They might think the location they chose is obvious—if it's in a safe or safety deposit box—or they must just never have gotten around to it.

What is a key document?

A key document is the person's last will and testament. Usually, if a document marked "Will" or "Last Will and Testament" does not occupy a prominent spot on a desk or a bookshelf of the deceased, family members rummage through files, drawers, and personal papers until they find this critical document. While looking for any lists of personal items ...

Where do you take a will?

In any case, the one who does find the will must take it to the probate court in the county of residence of the deceased. State law requires the person who finds the will to deposit it with the probate court within a brief window of time—usually just a matter of days. In probate court, the executor has the duty to publicize its contents.

Can a person who knew someone die produce a will?

Perhaps the people who knew have died as well. In some rare cases, a probate court has to compel a party to produce a will. Usually, though, the information is where those closest to the deceased can find it. It just might take a little hunting.

What happens if you pay attention to someone's body language?

If you pay close attention to their body language, they always seem to have a guilty conscience about something. They will excessively be on their phones while near you, or they will ask you questions like they are interviewing you. If they are not feeling a guilty conscience, they will be super super calmed and will try to make you feel as comfortable as they can so they can get you speak about everything about yourself.

What does the court have to evaluate the informant's involvement with the crime?

The court will have to evaluate the informant's involvement with the crime, whether the defence would want to call the CI as a witness, and whether identifying the informant would put him or her in unreasonable danger. Sometimes though, it is worth it for the defence to try and learn the identity of an informant.

What happens to you when you register into the informant system?

The WORST thing to happen to the detectives is for you to be harmed or your cover blown. When you register into the informant system you are there responsibility. What happens to you and your safety directly reflects upon them.

What happens when someone registers as a confidential informant?

When someone registers as a confidential informant they are put into the system as a randomly generated number. Only 2 detectives know your name and what your doing. They refer to you as the number to there colleges and superiors if they need to reference you. This is part of the system to protect informants identity.

What does the informant system refer to you as?

They refer to you as the number to there colleges and superiors if they need to reference you. This is part of the system to protect informants identity. The WORST thing to happen to the detectives is for you to be harmed or your cover blown. When you register into the informant system you are there responsibility.

Can a person's name be on public records?

Normally the person’s name would show up in the Public Arrest Records if the person is an informant. In today's day and age, there are many reasons why someone would start looking up criminal public records. Before everything was digitized and stored in databases, a manual search can take up a lot of time.

Does the government protect CIs?

The government prefers to protect the identity of CIs. A . Continue Reading. You've surely heard about confidential informants or CIs on television and film. Usually, the story line involves one or more mob bosses who are arrested based on the "tips" of a CI, who may be a former mobster or someone who wore a wiretap.