Knowledge & Resources
Wills and estate planning
What a will does, how to write one, and what your state requires for it to count.
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Wills and estate planning
What a will does, how to write one, and what your state requires for it to count.
Wills are governed by state law, not federal law, and no two states are quite the same. How many witnesses you need, whether a notary is involved at all, whether a handwritten will counts: each of those is decided where you live.
The state that governs your will is the one you are domiciled in, which for most people is simply where they live and pay income tax. It is not where your property sits, and it is not where you happen to be when you sign. If you split your time between two states, the one you treat as your permanent home is the one whose rules apply.
What the law requires, the statute it comes from, and a link to the official source.