§45-2-83.40. Deposit of will during life of testator.

(a) Any testator who resides in Baldwin County may deposit his or her will with the Baldwin County Probate Court. The will shall be sealed in an envelope with the name and address of the testator and the date of deposit noted thereon. If the will is deposited by a person other than the testator, that fact also shall be noted on the envelope. The size of the envelope may be regulated by the Baldwin County Probate Court to provide uniformity and ease of filing.

(b) The judge of probate shall issue a receipt for the deposit of the will and shall maintain a registry of all wills deposited in the probate court. The original will, unless withdrawn pursuant to subsection (c) or opened after death of the testator pursuant to subsection (d), shall be kept on file.

(c) A testator may withdraw the testator's will during the testator's lifetime, but the judge of probate shall deliver the will only to the testator personally or to a person duly authorized to withdraw it for the testator, by a writing signed by the testator and two witnesses other than the person authorized.

(d) If a will has been filed with the probate court for safekeeping during the testator's lifetime, the court on learning of the death of the testator shall open the will and give notice of the court's possession to the executor named in the will, otherwise to some person interested in the provisions of the will. If probate jurisdiction belongs to any other court, the will shall be delivered to that court.

(e) Guidelines and procedures for the implementation of this section shall be developed jointly by the Judge of Probate of Baldwin County and a committee of the Baldwin County Bar Association to be appointed by the President of the Baldwin County Bar Association.

(f) The Judge of Probate of Baldwin County may collect a filing fee not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25) for each will filed for safekeeping. The fee shall be collected at the time of filing and shall be remitted to the Baldwin County Commission to the credit of the general fund.

(Act 2002-267, p. 550, §§1-6.)