In order to make sure that your will accurately states your wishes and that
you are the person who made the will, there are some additional, more
technical, requirements.
These include:
- Your will needs to be either typewritten or computer generated unless you
follow the formal requirements that are in place for a holographic
(handwritten) will.
- This document will need to expressly state that it is indeed your will.
- The will must be signed and dated by you. There must also be the
signature of two other witnesses (some states require three). These people
will need to watch you sign the will but they do not need to read it. You
also need to know that the witnesses you choose will be unable to inherit
anything through your will.
It is important to understand that your will does NOT have to be notarized
in order for it to be valid. However, by having your witnesses sign a sworn
statement in front of a notary public, you can simplify the court procedures
that are necessary in order to prove your will's validity once you are
deceased. This is because the procedure makes the will able to prove itself
(the will becomes “self-proving”).
