Wills

General information

A Will is a document that provides for the distribution of certain property owned by an individual after their death. A typical Will includes instructions regarding how property is to be distributed among beneficiaries and nominates a personal representative (also called an executor) to administer the estate in accordance with the Will.

The laws covering Wills can be found in RCW Chapter 11.12.

Forms and instructions

Free eBook about making a Will

 
Quick & Legal Will book cover

How to find the eBook about making a Will

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Storing a Will

Deciding where to keep your will is an important decision. You need your will to be both secure and accessible when you die and there are pros and cons of whatever choice you make:

The Clark County Clerk's Office offers a Will repository service that you can use to file your original Will for unsealing after you die. The clerk will provide you with a coversheet to file with your Will. You can keep a copy of that coversheet to use if you want to withdraw your Will from the repository in the future. Your Will can be accessed after your death. See the Filing the Will page for more information.

Electronic Wills that can be signed and stored electronically rather than in paper are allowed under the Washington Uniform Electronic Wills Act.