In our last article, we mentioned that the project of getting around to signing a will is generally met with moderate to extreme procrastination. Many times people think about their wills right before embarking on a vacation—worrying about the plane going down. Like all things in life, though, it’s better when the terms of a will are thought out in advance and not in a last-minute scramble. In the case of one’s will, it is advisable to have a lawyer prepare it since a do-it-yourself will can easily lead to more problems than it solves. However, there may be circumstances when there is no time to go through the traditional process of having a will prepared (or formally updated by a codicil), and when the only option available is that cocktail napkin at the airport bar while awaiting one’s flight. Courts have certainly been known to rule that a signed writing on a napkin can be an enforceable contract, but what about a will? In this article, we will examine the execution “formalities” which are required to have a valid will in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
• Voluntary, sound mind and age 18.
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