A will is an important part of your financial plan. When you create a will and testament, youâre creating a legal document that determines how your assets will be distributed once you pass away. You can also use a will to name legal guardians for minor children. When making a will and testament, itâs important to follow the rules in your state to ensure the will is valid. One of those rules centers on the requirements for witnesses. For more guidance on the intricacies of wills and estate planning, consider enlisting the services of an expert financial advisor.
Why Wills Need to Be Witnessed
A will is a legal document but in order for it to be binding, there are certain requirements that need to be met. For instance, although state laws regarding wills vary, states generally require you to be of legal adult age to make a will. You must also have testamentary capacity, meaning you:
- Must understand the extent and value of the property youâre including in the will
- Are aware that youâre making a will to decide who will inherit your assets
- Arenât acting under duress in making the will
Having someone witness your will matters in case questions are raised over its validity later or there is a will contest. For example, if one of your heirs challenges the terms of your will a witness may be called upon in court to attest that they watched you sign the will and that you appeared to be of sound mind when you did so.
In other words, witnesses add another layer of validity to a will. If all the people who witnessed the signing of a will are in agreement about your intent and mental state when you made it, then it becomes harder for someone else to dispute its legality.
Who Can Witness a Will?
When drafting a will, itâs important to understand several requirements, including who can serve as a witness. Generally, anyone can witness a will as long as they meet two requirements:
- Theyâre of legal adult age (i.e. 18 or 19 in certain states)
- They donât have a direct interest in the will
The kinds of people who could witness a will for you include:
- Friends who are not set to receive anything from your estate
- Neighbors
- Coworkers
- Relatives who are not included in your will, such as cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.
- Your doctor
If youâve hired an attorney to help you draft your will, they could also act as a witness as long as theyâre not named as a beneficiary. An attorney whoâs also acting as the executor of the will, meaning the person who oversees the process of distributing your assets and paying off any outstanding debts owed by your estate, can witness a will.
Who Cannot Witness a Will?
States generally prohibit you from choosing people who stand to benefit from your will as witnesses. So for example, if youâre drafting a will that leaves assets to your spouse, children, siblings or parents, none of them would be able to witness the willâs signing since they all have an interest in the willâs terms. Will-making rules can also exclude relatives or spouses of any of your beneficiaries. For instance, say you plan to leave money in your will to your sister and her husband with the sister being the executor. Your sister canât be a witness to the will since sheâs a direct beneficiary. And since her husband has an indirect interest in the terms of the will through her, he wouldnât qualify as a witness either.
But married couples can witness a will together, as long as they donât have an interest in it. So, you could ask the couple that lives next door to you or a couple you know at work to act as witnesses to your will.
You may also run into challenges if youâre asking someone who has a mental impairment or a visual impairment to witness your will. State will laws generally require that the persons witnessing a will be able to see the document clearly and have the mental capacity to understand what their responsibilities are as a witness.
Note that the witnesses donât need to read the entire will document to sign it. But they do need to be able to verify that the document exists, that youâve signed it in their presence and that theyâve signed it in front of you.
How to Choose Witnesses for a Will
If youâre in the process of drafting a will, itâs important to give some thought to who youâll ask to witness it. It may help to make two lists: one of the potential candidates who can witness a will and another of the people who cannot act as witnesses because they have an interest in the will.
You should have at least two people who are willing to witness your will signing. This is the minimum number of witnesses required by state will-making laws. Generally, the people you choose should be:
- Responsible and trustworthy
- Age 18 or older
- Younger than you (to avoid challenges presented if a witness passes away)
- Free of any interest in the will, either directly or indirectly
- Willing to testify to the willâs validity if itâs ever challenged
When itâs time to sign the will, youâll need to bring both of your witnesses together at the same time. Youâll need to sign, initial and date the will in ink, then have your witnesses do the same. You may also choose to attach a self-proving affidavit or have the will notarized in front of the witnesses.
A self-proving affidavit is a statement that attests to the validity of the will. If you include this statement, then you and your witnesses must sign and date it as well. Once the will is signed and deemed valid, store it in a secure place, such as a safe deposit box. You may also want to make a copy for your attorney to keep in case the original will is damaged or destroyed.
The Bottom Line
Making a will can be a fairly simple task if you donât have a complicated estate; it can even be done online in some situations. If you have significant assets to distribute to your beneficiaries or you need to make arrangements for the care of minor children, talking with an estate planning attorney can help you shape your will accordingly. Choosing witnesses to your will is the final piece of the puzzle in ensuring that itâs signed and legally valid.
Tips for Estate Planning
- Consider talking to a financial advisor about will-making, trusts and how to create a financial legacy for your loved ones. If you donât have a financial advisor, finding one doesnât have to be difficult. SmartAssetâs financial advisor matching tool can help you connect with professional advisors in your local area in just a few minutes. If youâre ready, get started now.
- A will is just one document you can include in your estate plan. You may also opt to establish a living trust to manage assets on behalf of your beneficiaries, set up a durable power of attorney and create an advance healthcare directive. A trust can help you avoid probate while potentially minimizing estate taxes.
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Taking care of aging parents is something you may need to plan for, especially if you think one or both of them might need long-term care. One thing you may not know is that some states have filial responsibility laws that require adult children to help financially with the cost of nursing home care. Whether these laws affect you or not depends largely on where you live and what financial resources your parents have to cover long-term care. But itâs important to understand how these laws work to avoid any financial surprises as your parents age.
While Medicare does not pay for long-term care expenses, Medicaid can. Medicaid eligibility guidelines vary from state to state but generally, aging seniors need to be income- and asset-eligible to qualify. If your aging parents are able to get Medicaid to help pay for long-term care, then filial responsibility laws donât apply. Instead, Medicaid can paid for long-term care costs.
Filial responsibility laws could hold you responsible for your parentsâ medical bills if theyâre unable to pay whatâs owed. If you live in a state that has these laws, itâs important to know when you may be subject to them. Helping your parents to plan ahead financially for long-term needs can help reduce the possibility of you being on the hook for nursing care costs unexpectedly.