Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in North Carolina

Am not sure that a copy will help if it was not signed. If the attorney has passed away, the files should have been placed with another lawyer maybe. Depends on how long ago the will was done by the attorney. Have you tried contacting the lawyer's office (if he/she was in a firm)? If there is a firm then the firm should have the file. If this was a solo practitioner, try contacting the NC State Bar to see if they can assist - maybe the files went to another lawyer. Or try contacting the spouse of the deceased attorney to see if the spouse knows what happened to the files or has access. If the file is found there may be some indication as to what your mother intended. Or maybe not. If not then the estate will have to be administered under the intestacy laws of the state where your mother lived at the time of her death.