What makes a valid will? What requirements are required? Does an expensive lawyer need to be hired to make your will valid?

 Making a valid will is deceptively simple. There are two things you need to make a will legal and valid.

  1. It is written down and in possession of a competent person.

  2. It is signed by you and witnessed by two competent adults.

That’s it. One signature and two witnesses’ signatures, and you have yourself a valid will.

Can I Write it Myself?

It can be one line and it will be admissible to court. But a will being admissible doesn’t necessarily make it workable and useful? A goodwill is written with contingencies and factors in the Minnesota law to create a realistic plan for the executor and the beneficiaries.

You can write it yourself, but you should have it drafted by a professional if there is any complexity involved. An experienced lawyer can help you determine who gets what, when they get it, how they get it, and how to keep the probate process smooth.

This is one area of the law where it’s especially important to make sure it’s done right the first time. If you get it wrong, no one will know until it’s too late. You won’t be able to fix it; you’ll be gone. And you might have just left your family with a big legal mess to work through.

One signature and two witnesses are all it takes to make it valid, but that doesn’t make it right.