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You can mail a copy of your will, but keep the original somewhere safe and tell your executor where it is. Courts strongly prefer the original document, and a missing original raises awkward questions about whether you revoked it. Mail copies to your executor for reference, and store the original in a fireproof safe or with your lawyer.
This is general information, not legal advice.
| What to do with it | |
|---|---|
| The signed original | Keep it somewhere safe and fire-resistant; tell your executor exactly where it is |
| Copies for your executor | Mail them for reference so they know the plan and where the original lives |
| A copy for your lawyer | Your estate lawyer should hold a copy, or the original if you prefer |
| A digital scan | Useful as a backup reference, but a scan is not a substitute for the original in most courts |
Because the original is the best evidence of what you actually signed. Probate courts in most US states and Canadian provinces want the original signed document, with its wet-ink signatures and witness signatures, before they'll grant probate. A copy can be probated in some circumstances, but it's an uphill process: someone has to explain to the court why the original is missing, and the court gets to be skeptical about the answer.
The reason for the skepticism is a legal presumption with real teeth. If a will was last known to be in your possession and only a copy turns up after your death, many courts presume you destroyed the original intending to revoke it. Your executor then has to rebut that presumption with evidence, which is an expensive fight your family shouldn't have to have. The original sitting safe in a known location avoids the entire problem.
Your executor first. Mail them a complete copy with a short cover letter stating where the original is kept and who else has copies. The point isn't just information; it's orientation. When the time comes, your executor shouldn't be hunting through drawers wondering whether a will exists. A copy in their files, plus knowledge of the original's location, is the whole system working as designed.
Send a copy to your backup executor too, and keep one yourself in a different location from the original. If you have an estate lawyer, they should hold a copy at minimum; many people leave the original with their lawyer's office instead of at home, which is fine as long as your executor knows that. Mail the copies by a trackable method so you know they arrived, and note on your own records who has copies. Whenever you update the will, send fresh copies to everyone on the list; an executor working from an outdated copy is a classic source of family conflict.
A fireproof safe at home is the most common answer, and it's a good one if your executor knows the combination or where the key is. A safe nobody can open is barely better than a lost will. Your lawyer's office is the other standard option: it's secure, it's a normal place for a court to look, and the lawyer's file notes back up the document's authenticity.
Think twice about a safe deposit box. In some places the box is sealed when the bank learns of the owner's death, and getting it opened can require a court order, which is exactly the delay you're trying to avoid. If you do use one, check your local rules first and make sure your executor has authorized access. Wherever the original lives, the rule is the same: one safe place, known to the executor, with copies circulating to everyone who needs to know the plan.
Mailing a copy of a will is an ordinary letter to a US or Canadian address, which LetterAgent handles like any other mailing: describe the letter to your AI assistant, approve the quoted price, and the printed copy goes out. Keep the original off the table entirely; the original never goes in the mail.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
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