Probate records are records disposing of a deceased individual's property and may include an individual's last will and testament if one was made. You can usually find probate records in the county where the person lived at the time of their death. Probate records often include the names of surviving relatives and their relationship to the deceased. You also can find the addresses of the survivors, because they would need to be contacted at the time of the individual's death. Of course, if the individual died too many decades ago, the survivors may be more difficult to trace, or may no longer be living.

To get a copy of an individual's probate packet or probate estate papers, contact the county clerk, town clerk, or probate clerk where the individual lived at the time of death. For county courthouse phone numbers and addresses, see our Resources by county. The Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also has a large collection of probate records on microfilm, both from the United States and from foreign countries.

For more information about court records, see the topic Court records.

Return to the Main Menu of the Genealogy "How-To" Guide