For California residents who have never had a close loved one pass, they may think that surviving family members still gather in a room and hear someone reading the deceased’s dying wishes. While the reading of the will sometimes still takes place in fictional settings, it is not an action that happens in reality anymore. Instead, copies of the will are typically provided to applicable parties in association with the probate process.

If there is an attorney associated with the estate, that legal professional may provide the copies of the will. Because the executor named in the document will handle the upcoming probate proceedings, he or she typically receives a copy of the document. It is also common for beneficiaries named in the will and any guardians for minor children to obtain a copy as well.

If the document is validated by the court, it will then go into the public record as probate proceedings get underway. Because anyone could access the public record, if an individual did not receive a copy of the document but would like to read it, he or she could request a copy by mail or go to the appropriate courthouse and review the document there. Some parties may elect to take this route rather than waiting to receive the document otherwise.

Probate can be a difficult process, both emotionally and legally, to complete. Many surviving loved ones want to know the information their loved ones left behind, and obtaining copies of the wills may be important to those parties. Of course, having this information is also important to California executors who will need to carry out those final wishes and for loved ones who may have questions regarding the validity of the documents.