I Hand Wrote My Will, Is That Okay?

I love Aretha Franklin. “RESPECT”. When she passed in 2018 it was initially thought that she had died without a Will. However, there were actually three Wills found, two from 2010 and one from 2014. One of those was found under a couch cushion. Of course, a cousin, who stood to recover under intestate laws, challenged the Wills, and wanted to make sure that they were in her handwriting. What? A hand written Will. That’s right, and you thought I was misleading you.

So-  what is required for a hand written Will? Easy. 1. In writing, 2. Signed by the testator, and 3. Signed by at least two witnesses who saw the testator sign the Will. Pretty simple right? Well, maybe… but probably not. A will just gets your assets into Probate, and what do we want to avoid? Probate…..

Would we recommend doing a hand written Will. Not really, you really need to speak to an attorney to make sure you get it right. Further still, a trust is a much more sophisticated and private vehicle for your assets. Do you want to know why?

Then. Get in touch.