{"id":9088,"date":"2021-08-18T21:59:41","date_gmt":"2021-08-18T21:59:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ogbornelaw.com\/?p=9088"},"modified":"2023-07-19T17:49:48","modified_gmt":"2023-07-19T17:49:48","slug":"what-makes-a-will-legal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/what-makes-a-will-legal\/","title":{"rendered":"What Makes a Will Legal?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>State laws differ on the requirements for a legitimate will, but usually, you should make sure you have a couple of bases covered.<\/p>\n<p>Even though a last will and testament won\u2019t go into effect until the passing of the testator, or individual creating the will, guaranteeing that your will is legitimate well in advance of that individual\u2019s passing is vital. State laws differ slightly regarding will requirements, but mostly, the primary requirements for a will to be legitimate are quite uniform across them.<\/p>\n<p>The following are 3 primary points that make a will legal.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/what-makes-a-will-legal\/#1_Mental_Capacity\" >1. Mental Capacity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/what-makes-a-will-legal\/#2_Signatures\" >2. Signatures<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/what-makes-a-will-legal\/#3_Notary_Public\" >3. Notary Public<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/what-makes-a-will-legal\/#Source\" >Source:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/what-makes-a-will-legal\/#Estate_Planning_Attorney_in_Phoenix_Arizona\" >Estate Planning Attorney in Phoenix, Arizona<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Mental_Capacity\"><\/span>1. Mental Capacity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For a will to be legitimate, the testator must be in their right mind. Typically, this means that the testator is required to be an adult, eighteen or older, and be mindful and aware of what they\u2019re doing. Many states also have the requirement that the testator have a comprehension of the disposition of the assets in the documentation.<\/p>\n<p>Disputes to a last will typically involve claims of a testator&#8217;s absence of capacity to execute the document. Such disputes could include that the testator was pressured, threatened, by fraud, or coercion and didn&#8217;t create the document under their freedom of choice.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Signatures\"><\/span>2. Signatures<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To be legitimate, a will is required be signed by its creator. Deathbed signatures by a testator can be just as legitimate as other signatures as long as the individual signing the will has the ability to do so, as aforementioned above.<\/p>\n<p>Apart from the testator&#8217;s signature, a lot of states also have the requirement of the signatures of two witnesses that are at a minimum of eighteen years old and who witnesses the testator signing the will; many states have the requirement of three witnesses. Getting a last will witnessed, as a result, typically involves a meeting with a small gathering of individuals, including the testator and their witnesses.<\/p>\n<p>The individual appointed as executor in the will is not required to sign the will for it to be legitimate. Actually, many jurisdictions particularly require the signatures of unbiased witnesses. In many cases, the executor of a will is also an appointed beneficiary, in which makes them an interested party and unacceptable to be a witness.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Notary_Public\"><\/span>3. Notary Public<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A will is not required to be notarized to be legitimate, but the topic is included in this post since taking this additional step of having a notary public involved could be beneficial later. Throughout probate, the court-administered process of allocating the property of a deceased individual, a &#8220;self-proving affidavit&#8221; could assist in demonstrating that your will is legitimate<\/p>\n<p>To carry out this affidavit, you and your witnesses are required to present yourselves in front of a notary public to sign this sworn testimony. Some states regard this kind of affidavit as compelling proof of a will&#8217;s legitimacy.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re going to have an estate planning attorney arrange your will, utilize an on-line service, or draw up a DIY will, the requirements of a legitimate are going to apply. Consequently, you should be sure that you have fulfilled all of your jurisdiction&#8217;s requirements or there\u2019s a chance your will is just another piece of paper.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Source\"><\/span>Source:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 28.35pt; text-indent: -28.35pt;\">Kaminsky, M. (2021, August 16). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalzoom.com\/articles\/what-makes-a-will-legal\">What makes a will legal?<\/a> LegalZoom. https:\/\/www.legalzoom.com\/articles\/what-makes-a-will-legal.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Estate_Planning_Attorney_in_Phoenix_Arizona\"><\/span>Estate Planning Attorney in Phoenix, Arizona<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Here at <a href=\"https:\/\/g.page\/ogbornelaw?share\">Ogborne Law<\/a>, we are proud to include estate planning among our services. Your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ogbornelaw.com\/getting-to-know-michelle-ogborne-estate-planning-attorney\/\">estate planning attorney<\/a>\u00a0will work closely with you to draw up all the documents you\u2019ll need to communicate your wishes to the court. We\u2019ll take the time to answer all of your questions and guide you through this important process. If you\u2019re ready to start your consultation with Ogborne Law, visit our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ogbornelaw.com\/schedule-a-consultation\/estate-planning\/\">Estate Planning Consultation<\/a>\u00a0request page.<\/p>\n<p>There are so many aspects to consider in estate planning, and we haven\u2019t even touched on those individuals who own a business!<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve worked hard for your life, and you need to protect it. You owe it to your family and your legacy to take care of planning now.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ogbornelaw.com\/contact\/\">Contact Ogborne Law<\/a> to schedule your estate-planning session.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>State laws differ on the requirements for a legitimate will, but usually, you should make sure you have a couple of bases covered. Even though a last will and testament won\u2019t go into effect until the passing of the testator, or individual creating the will, guaranteeing that your will is legitimate well in advance of&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[222,165],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-last-will-and-testament","category-will","category-222","category-165","description-off"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Makes a Will Legal? - Ogborne Law<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Makes a Will Legal? - Ogborne Law\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"State laws differ on the requirements for a legitimate will, but usually, you should make sure you have a couple of bases covered. 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