A common question that I'm asked as an estate planning attorney is how to obtain a copy of a deceased person's last will and testament or other probate court filings. Because probate records are public court records that anyone can read, if a will has been filed for probate then you should be able to obtain a copy of it. And with modern technology comes the ability to locate information about a deceased person's estate online, and in most cases for absolutely free.

But while you may not be able to view copies of the actual will and other documents that have been filed with the probate court for free (many courts have started charging for the ability to view documents), at the very least you will be able to see a list of the documents that have been filed, who has been named as the executor of the estate, which attorney the executor has hired, and the name of the judge presiding over the case. Some courts even list the names of all of the beneficiaries of the estate. This will then give you the ability to request copies of the will and any other documents you are interested in viewing from the probate clerk's office, or you can try contacting the executor or the executor's attorney for additional information.

How to Find Out Where a Probate Estate Has Been Filed

One side note - how do you determine the appropriate probate court where an estate is being, or has been, probated? An estate is probated in the county where the deceased person lived at the time of his or her death, or, in some cases, the county where the deceased person owned real estate.

Use the following website to locate the correct name of the county by plugging in the name of the city where the deceased person lived or owned real estate: City - County Search.

How to Request Copies of Probate Court Documents

Once you have located the appropriate county, an online search can be done for that county's probate court or probate court dockets. This can be tricky because in some states the probate court is not actually called the probate court, it could be referred to as the "circuit court," "surrogate's court," "orphan's court," or any other number of courts. But be persistent - since probate occurs in each and every county across the country, chances are you will be able to locate the appropriate court's online information.

Once you have located the appropriate county, usually the steps involved in obtaining a copy of a will or other probate document directly from the probate court will include the following:

1. Appearing in person and asking for a copy of the will or other probate document, or making a written request by fax or mail if applying in person is not feasible.
2. Paying a copying fee for the number of pages that the will or other probate document contains. These fees usually range from $1.00 to a few dollars per page.
3. Providing a self-addressed, stamped envelope for mailing the copies if the request is not made in person.

How to View the Online Probate Dockets for Estates Probated in St. Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida

If the estate you are interested in is being probate in the St. Johns County Circuit Court located in St. Augustine, Florida, then follow the links and instructions provided below to view the St. Johns County probate court dockets online.

1. Click on the following link to the St. Johns County, Florida clerk's website: St. Johns County Clerk of Courts.
2. Click on Online Search at the top of the page.
3. Click on Civil Records Search.
4. Click on the link which says Please click on this link for all court type searches.
5. Enter the last name and first name as indicated and then click on "Search."
6. Once you locate the link to your probate case, click on the case number and you will be able to view the following information: the name of the judge; list of beneficiaries; list of claimants; personal representative(s); attorney(s) for personal representative(s); hearings with results; and a complete docket by date.

Once you locate the documents you want to have copied, you can go back to the clerk's home page and click on Contacts (Note: Probate information is listed under "Family Services"). You can then visit the clerk's office in person or give them a call to determine the procedure for obtaining the copies and the costs involved.

NOTE: If you follow the instructions above but nothing happens, either the website is being updated, in which case try back at another time, or your internet browser does not like the About.com interface at the top of the page, in which case once you land on the main search page, at the top of the page click on the words "Turn off this Top Frame" and then follow the remaining instructions.