What is required for a will to be witnessed and signed?

In Florida, for a will to be legally binding it must be signed and witnessed in front of at least two adult witnesses. These witnesses must not benefit from the will in any way, and must be of sound mind. The witnesses must watch the testator (the person making the will) sign the will in front of them, and then they must also sign the will with their own signature. The witnesses also need to fill out an affidavit which states that the will was signed in their presence. It is important to note that the testator cannot sign the will in front of the witnesses and then have them sign it after. The signing must be done at the same time. Additionally, a notary can be present to witness the signing as well but this is not required. If the testator is physically unable to sign the will, then they may verbally declare in front of the witnesses that the document is their will and the witnesses will need to sign the will that way. This is known as an attested will. For a will to be valid, it needs to ensure that all of the testator’s assets are distributed according to their wishes and it must follow all of the laws of the state in which it is being signed. In the event that there are any errors or changes, the will can be cancelled or changed as long as it is done so according to the proper legal procedures.

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