King County Will Repository Opens
Pursuant to a legislative change made to Chapter 11.12 RCW during the 2004 legislative session, the King County Superior Court Clerk will accept original wills of living testators (those for whom the wills are written) for deposit into the Clerk’s Will Repository under seal.
The new statute provides:
Any person who has custody or control of any original will and who has not received knowledge of the death of the testator may deliver the will for filing under seal to any court having jurisdiction. The testator may withdraw the original will so filed upon proper identification. Any other person, including an attorney in fact or guardian of the testator, may withdraw the original will so filed only upon court order after showing of good cause. Upon request and presentation of a certified copy of the testator’s death certificate, the clerk shall unseal the file. ...
In King County, a party wishing to deposit an original will of a living person must complete a Will Repository Cover Sheet (WRCS), which is available in the Clerk’s Office or on the Clerk’s Web site at www.metrokc.gov/kcscc/forms.htm. An index will be maintained in the Superior Court Management Information System (SCOMIS) under the name and date of birth of the testator. The Clerk will retain deposited wills or the record of their withdrawal for 100 years.
