Procedures for Executing a Will
- Gather together with you in a room two witnesses. The witnesses must be adults who will not receive anything by the terms of the Will;
- State to the witnesses that this is a Will to your Will and ask that they witness your signing of the Will;
- Date the Will and sign your name in the line above your typewritten name on the second to last page;
- Ask a witness to fill in the date on the last page of the Will; and
- Ask each witness to read the paragraphs on the last page of the Will, since signing is an affirmation that the statements in the paragraphs are true. Each witness should then sign his/her name and write in his/her address in the space provided.
That is all there is to it!
Three important things to remember are:
- The witnesses must all stay in the room while your are signing and while each of them is signing as a witness;
- The witnesses may not be beneficiaries;
- Once wthe will is signed, do not change it!
Procedures for Executing a Codicil to a Will
The procedures for executing a Codicil are the same as for executing a Will. See the five steps and the three important things to remember, above.
Professional Support for a Creating a Will
The procedures for executing a will are the same whether an attorney helped draft the will or if the document was created independently.
You can create a valid will without engaging an attorney. However, an estate planning attorney will employ their knowledge and training to incorporate a will as part of a comprehensive plan.
Estate planning attorneys also help clients avoid common mistakes in wording, asset identification and titling, and the unintentional creation of tax liabilities.