Can I have a witness?
Arizona’s Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) set out the standards that must be met in order to create a last will and testament. Options include a handwritten or holographic will and a properly witnessed prepared will.
A.R.S. § 14-2502(A)(3) requires that, in the second case, a will be signed by the testator (maker of the will) and be “[s]igned by at least two people, each of whom signed within a reasonable time after that person witnessed either the signing of the will or the testator’s acknowledgment of that signature or acknowledgment of the will.” But who is a proper witness?
Most Arizona attorneys will ensure a proper execution occurs by having two witnesses present along with a notary public. This results in what is called a “self-proving” will. But what happens if there is only one witness signature along with a notary? This is the background in a recent Arizona Court of Appeals decision entitled “In re Estate of Bradley.”
After Ms. Bradley died, her son, who was not named as a beneficiary in her will, complained that the will was not valid because it lacked the signature of two witness. If the will was not valid, the son would stand to inherit.
At a hearing on the petition to probate the will, both the person who signed as witness and the Notary Public testified that they were present and witnessed Ms. Bradley sign the will. The son argued that because the notary was there to “notarize” she did not count as a “witness.” The Court of Appeals disagreed. The Arizona statute does not place any such limitation on who is a proper witness, just that two individuals are either present to see or are told by the signer that she signed. That is what happened here and the court accepted the notary as the second witness.
Proper execution of any legal document is important. Improper execution of a will or trust is one of the reasons people end up in court. Proper review and overview by an attorney can often prevent expensive and time-consuming litigation. The attorneys at Berk Law Group can review your documents for proper execution and avoid costly headaches later. And, if you end up court, our attorneys can help you try to resolve the matter as efficiently as possible. Please contact us if you have any questions.
