A properly witnessed will is simply more ironclad.
However, if you're about to make a will, it's always best to have it properly witnessed, regardless of what state you live in. If you find a loved one's handwritten will that was unwitnessed, you might be in luck, depending on whether your state accepts holographic wills. Some states require that they be dated as well. states accept "holographic wills," which are wills that are written entirely or partially (depending on the state's laws) in the deceased person's handwriting and not witnessed. However, in some states, certain unwitnessed wills can still be valid. Some states will only accept wills that have been witnessed. What If a Will Isn't Witnessed?ĭo all wills need to be witnessed? In all cases, it's best to have witnesses. When the will was later challenged in probate court, the judge threw it out. In one case, the brother of an elderly man asked two men to "witness something," the man was about to sign, but didn't know it was a will. The witnesses must know that the document is a will, or the document won't be valid. Or they may be allowed to watch the will-maker sign the will, and sign it later themselves. In others, they don't even have to watch the will-maker sign, as long as the person later tells the witnesses that he or she signed the document. In some states, the witnesses don't have to be in the same room when they sign the will. It's common for the witnesses to also initial each page of the will.
The witnesses watch the will-maker sign the document.The will-maker (testator, in legal jargon) declares to the two witnesses that they are about to watch him sign his or her will.The Witnessing ProcessĮvery state requires that a certain procedure must be followed when a will is signed. It's usually not a problem for the lawyer who drew up a will to also serve as a witness when the will is signed, even if the lawyer is also named as the executor and will profit later from charging fees for the executor's work. The Lawyer Who Drafted the Will Can Be a Witness The rest of the will would remain in effect. If a beneficiary does serve as a witness, the will's gift to that person could be declared void by a court. A beneficiary's spouse may also be disqualified from serving as a witness. Most states require that witnesses be "disinterested"-in other words, that they not stand to inherit under the terms of the will. Witnesses Should Be Disinterested (Not Beneficiaries Under the Will) The requirements vary from state to state, but here are the basic rules: Witnesses Must Be AdultsĮach witness must be a legal adult, which usually means 18 or over. In many cases, you can also make your will self-proving by attaching notarized sworn statements from your witnesses, but this step is not necessary to make your will legal it simply helps your loved ones save a few steps later on during the probate process. Only two states, Colorado and North Dakota, currently allows will-makers to choose to have their signatures notarized instead of witnessed. When you're talking about a will, a notarized signature is not the same thing as a witnessed signature. While state laws on the requirements of a will can vary, almost all states require two disinterested (see below) witnesses. How Many Witnesses Are Necessary for a Will? But if there are witnesses, they can come to court and testify that the will-maker stated the document was his or her will, and appeared to be of sound mind and not under any undue influence. Why this extra level of formality and caution, when it's not required for other important documents such as contracts or promissory notes? The simple answer is that by the time a will takes effect, the person who signed it is no longer around to say whether or not the document that's being presented to the probate court is really his or her will. (For a more general overview of the requirements for a valid will, see How To Determine if a Will is Valid.) Why Are Witnesses Required? The witnesses must know that the document is intended to be that person's will, and they must also sign the document themselves. Unlike other legal documents, a will generally isn't valid unless two adult witnesses watch the will-maker sign it.
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