Procedure for Signing and Witnessing your Last Will and Testament

  1. You must sign your will in the presence of at least two witnesses.
  2. If one of the witnesses does not see the actual signing of the will, the will is considered invalid. It is therefore important that the witnesses are aware of, and see you signing the document.
  3. It is not necessary for the witnesses to be aware of the contents of the will, but they must know it is a will. After witnessing the signing of the will, the witnesses must attest the will by signing and acknowledging their signature in your presence. It is also advised that both you and your witnesses initial each page, so that it is not possible to alter any of the pages of the will after it has been signed.
  4. A witness cannot be a beneficiary of the Will (i.e. someone who will receive something under your will), nor can they be your spouse at the time of signing, or a minor.

Signing procedure

For the signing procedure, make sure you gather the witnesses together in one place. You should make a formal statement that you have gathered them to witness the signing of your Will.

  1. They do not have to read the will or know its contents. They are only required to witness your signature.
  2. You should initial each page in turn, in the designated bottom corner of each page, and then sign your name in full on the last page, in full view of the witnesses. Each witness should then initial each page in turn (in the designated bottom corner of each page) and sign the last page. Everybody must stay present until all of the signing process is complete.
  3. There should only be one original of the Will for everyone to sign. It is a good idea to sign the original in blue ink, so that it is easily distinguishable from the photocopies. Do not sign any photocopies, as this will create duplicate originals which can be difficult to administer.