What estate planning documents must be witnessed?

In California, there are several estate planning documents that must be witnessed. These documents include a will, a power of attorney, a trust, and an advance health care directive. A will is a document in which a person states how their property will be distributed upon their death. According to California law, a will must be signed by two witnesses who are older than 18 and of sound mind. The witnesses cannot be the person making the will or a beneficiary of the will. Power of attorney is a document that allows someone to make decisions on behalf of another. In California, a power of attorney must be signed by two witnesses who are not related to the person making the power of attorney. The witnesses must also not be the person making the power of attorney or the person acting on behalf of the person creating the power of attorney. A trust is a document that outlines the management of property on behalf of someone else. In California, a trust must be signed by two witnesses who are 18 or older and of sound mind. These witnesses cannot be the person creating the trust or a beneficiary of the trust. An advance health care directive is an important document that outlines the medical care someone would like to receive in the event of an illness or injury. In California, an advance health care directive must be signed by two witnesses who are 18 or older and of sound mind. These witnesses cannot be the person creating the advance health care directive. In short, a will, power of attorney, trust, and advance health care directive must all be witnessed in California in order to be valid. The witnesses must also meet certain criteria as outlined by California law.

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