§ 1424 Foreign wills; evidence after lapse of time

If a will was already proven valid in another state's court, and 20 years have passed since that happened, New York courts will accept a certified copy of that will's record as evidence. This copy is treated the same as if someone brought in the original will and proved it fresh in New York court.

This rule matters because after so much time has passed, it can be hard to track down the original will or find witnesses who can speak to how it was proven. Instead of making people jump through those hoops, the law lets a properly certified copy of the old record stand in for the original. The certification has to come from whoever legally holds custody of that record at the time they issue the certificate.

In practical terms, this means families dealing with older wills from other states do not have to worry about losing their legal rights just because decades have gone by. As long as the will was properly proven at the time and the copy is certified correctly, New York courts will treat it as valid proof.