I sent in the claim to the insurance company, and I was informed that I needed to send a certified copy of the court appointment papers naming the personal representative for my mother's estate plus a completed IRS Form W-9 including the estate tax identification number. You have most probably heard the term "certified copy" ("beglaubigte Kopie") or the phrase "you need to have your documents/certificates authenticated" in Germany. A copy of a document, signed and certified as a true copy by the officer to whose custody the original is intrusted. While someone is alive, only they can give you a copy of a Will: no one else is normally entitled to see it or know its’ contents. Perhaps not really a satisfactory situation. Our job is to be sure you do NOT pay through the nose! Ideally, you'll have the probate court file number, which you can get from the executor. Or, if you prefer, use a stamp on the copy that has your statutory notary certificate wording for this type of act. Fees from abroad should be paid by International Money Order, cheque or draft, payable through a United Kingdom bank, and must be made out in £ sterling. For the Republic of Ireland, contact the Probate Office, Fourt Courts, Dublin 7 (Tel: Dublin 725555), or the National Archives Office, Bishop Street, Dublin 8 (Tel: Dublin 407 2300) for records more than 20 years old. A search can normally be made using less detail, but if the date of death is not known, you must state the year from which you want the search to be made, or give some other evidence that might indicate when the person died. This article is about copy Last Will & testaments in England and Wales. The Probate Department (Brokers) Ltd Free Advice Legal: Who is Entitled to a Copy of a Will? The first is a simple photocopy of the will; the second is a copy that the court stamps and certifies to be an exact copy of the original document. ONLINE COPY WILL or GRANT? A 'certified copy' of an original document is a copy that has been verified as being a true copy of an original document such as a: birth certificate. Who can certify a document in Canada The testator can, however, give away copies if he chooses – so the best option is to ask. The executor then starts to gather the testator's bank accounts, real estate and assets, pay debts and taxes, and distribute whatever remains to the beneficiaries under the will. Read More: Where Are Last Will & Testaments Filed? We do charge for an initial review for contentious probate, but a small initial fee could save you wasting tens of thousands of pounds. If you are applying for a search as well, you can request a search of any length, and fees for this are outlined above. Complete and send this form to obtain a copy Last Will & testament and or Grant of Probate of a deceased person to the Postal Search & Copies Department – the address is on the form (don’t send it to us please!). Please read their instructions which are reproduced at the foot of the page. This is especially true for accounts with lots of funds, although the threshold is different for every organi… You'll need to visit the courthouse and ask a court clerk to locate the file. A notarized or certified copy means that a Canadian notary public or commissioner for oaths has put a seal on your document (or signed) or on a separate certificate. The easy option is a new service offer by the Government for copy Last Wills and Grants of Probate. On a single-page document, the certifier must write or stamp, 'This is a certified true copy of the original as sighted by me' Occasionally, further details are available from the Capital Taxes Office, but you will normally need the written consent of the executors or administrators. However, anyone who is interested in checking up on grants since 1996 can search the Probate Service database themselves at the Principal Probate Registry in London and Manchester District Probate Registry.