Russell County Probate Judge Belinda Strickland introduced three bills to the Russell County Commission last week. The first bill introduced would allow Russell County residents to voluntarily file their wills with the probate court for safekeeping while keeping the documents confidential until the person’s death.
Under the bill, the probate judge would maintain a public docket showing that a will was filed and any later withdrawal, but the contents of the will would remain sealed and accessible only to the person who filed it or their legal representative before death. The measure also authorizes the probate judge to charge a filing fee and makes clear that filing a will does not prevent it from being revoked or replaced later. The bill would take effect immediately upon becoming law.
“Individuals have requested this service so that they have their wills on file and remain confidential,” Probate Judge Belinda Strickland explained. “There’s not going to be an extra charge. It is the exact same fee that they pay currently if they file it in the Record Room Department. Depending on the length of your will, it will average from $11.50 to $20.50. However, by filing it in the Legal Department, it will go through a different software system so that it can only be accessed by the individual and their legal representatives. The reason why people have asked for it is because they just feel that, traditionally, it’s a safe place to store documents. It’ll be easy for them to access it. If they need to change it, they can change it and then re-file it. I think it’s just a sense of security and flexibility That has driven numerous people to request this service. “…