Do you really need to put your will in a safe deposit box in a bank? A friend told me that

[raccoon]

hers is. Mine's not.

But if the person who's going to be the executor knows that Atticus Finch drew up my will, can't she just go to Mr. Finch's office if she can't find my will?

[sharp_stick]

1. I've got one copy at home

and another on file at the lawyers office. Our families know where both are. Never had a safety deposit box.

[madaboutharry]

2. There better be someone with authorization to get into it the safe deposit box.

There is no reason for a will to be in a safe deposit box. Every person with a will does not also have a safe deposit box.

[Sanity Claws]

3. That's 100% right

I was about to say that.

[iscooterliberally]

15. When my father passed away he left a safety deposit box with no authorization.

I brought his death certificate into the bank and they opened it up for me. I doubt the laws are the same in every state, but I was able to get into his empty safety deposit box. It was rather anticlimactic. Anyway, I can't remember what else I needed to get in. I think I had to get a certified birth certificate and bring my ID to prove who I was and that he was my father. It was a pain in the posterior, but I got in. If one loves their heirs, they should try to do a little better than my dad did.

[anneboleyn]

22. Exactly. Pointless. The executor needs an original copy and I would make sure the lawyer has an

up to date copy. Keeping a copy in a deposit box doesn't accomplish anything (for some reason some people seem to think that an unethical person could just write in changes on a will following the death of the person -- of course a legal will has witnesses and is appropriately filed for that very reason). As others have pointed out, appropriate people should have copies of the will so that everyone knows what is happening and there is no confusion over who is supposed to do what!

[Warren DeMontague]

4. I keep mine in one of those pneumatic containers like they have at the bank, lodged in my colon

I figure after I die everyone can open me up like an Xmas Present.

[ret5hd]

5. Well, at least nobody will say "He didn't leave me shit!".

[Warren DeMontague]

7. ...

[TygrBright]

23. hee! You win the InterToobz today! n/t

[KittyWampus]

8. Well, that's totally unique.

[Warren DeMontague]

9. I'm all about planning ahead

[KittyWampus]

10. Best concept I've come up with (we could make a million bucks) is this:

Pack your or your loved one's cremated ashes into a firework and light up the night in one last, colorful explosion!

[Warren DeMontague]

13. GET OUT OF MY HEAD

Seriously, that's creepy. I've been planning that for decades. You sure we haven't met?

...I also think Hunter S. Thompson, God Bless 'Im, actually did something like that. Or else it was a giant exploding roman candle designed like the Aspen Freak Power Uprising logo.

[bathroommonkey76]

19. Johnny Depp paid 1 million of his own money to do that for Hunter. n/t

[KittyWampus]

24. dammit, I thought it was original.

[hardluck]

28. I'm all about pressing the ashes into a diamond

http://www.lifegem.com/

Instant engagement ring for the next spouse....

[elehhhhna]

16. You'll expel it. Hopefully not during the wake.

[Egnever]

6. No

but your heirs should know where it is.

[MANative]

11. Mine isn't, but it is in a small document safe in my house.

I have a copy with my attorney and my executor knows who that is. I also told a niece, in the unlikely event that something were to happen to my executor.

[procon]

12. Why use safe deposit box in a bank?

You'd need to make sure that Atticus Finch had your written instructions in advance to release the document to the person you designate, otherwise he can't. As time passes, that might pose an undue burden on your heirs.

I wouldn't use safe deposit box to hold the only copy of my will unless I also allowed those people access too. If the bank is closed when they need it, that's another problem if your medical power of attorney is included, as is mine. I have a copy, I keep the original of my will with a relative outside the home as an added safeguard, and my executor has a copy, and I gave copies to my primary beneficiaries.

[treestar]

14. Keep it at home in a fireproof safe

Let the executor know where it is.

There have been cases where the executor could not open the safe deposit box.

[UTUSN]

17. Somebody made the mistake of registering it at the court house. Such things are public & can be

accessed by anybody.

[Mr. Ected]

18. The testator and the executor need to have originals in their possession

Forget the lawyer. The lawyer drafted the will, but lawyers die, move, get disbarred or simply misplace documents. Most states (all?) do not require an attorney to retain an original.

It is very important that the EXECUTOR/ADMINISTRATOR hold an original will. They will, in fact, be tasked with probating it, so it makes sense that they have immediate access.

[anneboleyn]

20. Yes, exactly. I would say though that the lawyer should have an up-to-date copy as well as

wills really should be done with a lawyer (honestly we have had two huge will-related disasters in our family and witnessed a friend go through hell when a parent didn't file a proper will). And yes the executor should definitely have an original copy with all proper signatures AND know exactly what is expected of him/her when the time comes. It avoids big headaches in the long run.

[seaglass]

21. Keep a copy at home and give one to the executor. My mom's lawyer couldn't find hers but

fortunately I had a copy. My dad assigned me as executor but didn't tell me nor did he give me a copy of his will.

It's stressful enough when someone you love dies, make it a little easier on them if you can.

[jeffreyi]

25. My attorney

told me to purchase a fireproof safe and put the docs there, tell the executor where it is, and how to get into it. He said that the executor does not need to know the contents of the will or trust, unless you want them to.
So I did. The combination to the safe is locked up in a file cabinet that can be broken into when the time comes. I'm also considering putting a bunch of reference info into my "lastpass" online vault. They have a place for bank acct numbers and policy numbers and so on. Has anyone done this, thoughts?

[Stallion]

26. Many Attorneys Have Fire Proof Safes

...if he (or she) is my family lawyer its often one of the first places family will look

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. That's not a good idea. It just delays the probate process

because you have to get authorization to get into the box (and hope you can locate the key), which means you have to wait for a death certificate - which might take a couple of weeks. Leave the original with the executor or an attorney and be sure whoever will need to see it knows who has it.

I want to get one of those big safe deposit boxes and stuff it with those fake joke "snakes" made of springs and fabric, like the ones in the gag mixed nut cans. The drawback to being dead is that I wouldn't be able to watch when the box is opened.