Wills Archives - Wills & Estate Planning — New York State https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/category/wills/ New York State wills & estate planning by Morgan Legal Group Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:03:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Legal-Network-Logo-150x150.png Wills Archives - Wills & Estate Planning — New York State https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/category/wills/ 32 32 How Many Witnesses Does a New York Will Need? https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/how-many-witnesses-does-a-new-york-will-need/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:03:17 +0000 https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/how-many-witnesses-does-a-new-york-will-need/ A New York will needs at least two attesting witnesses. Under New York Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (EPTL) §3-2.1, every formal will must be signed by the testator at the end of the document and witnessed by no fewer than two people who sign the instrument at the testator’s request. If your will is […]

The post How Many Witnesses Does a New York Will Need? appeared first on Wills & Estate Planning — New York State.

]]> How to Change a Will in New York With a Codicil https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/how-to-change-a-will-with-a-codicil-in-new-york/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:03:17 +0000 https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/how-to-change-a-will-with-a-codicil-in-new-york/ To change a will in New York with a codicil, you create a separate written amendment that modifies specific provisions of your existing will, then you sign and witness that codicil with the exact same legal formalities required for the original will under New York’s Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (EPTL) §3-2.1. A codicil does […]

The post How to Change a Will in New York With a Codicil appeared first on Wills & Estate Planning — New York State.

]]> How to Make a Will Legally Valid in New York (EPTL §3-2.1) https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/how-to-make-a-will-legally-valid-in-new-york/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:03:17 +0000 https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/how-to-make-a-will-legally-valid-in-new-york/ To make a will legally valid in New York, you must follow the execution requirements of New York Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (EPTL) §3-2.1: you must be at least 18 and of sound mind, you must sign the will at its end, you must declare to your witnesses that the document is your will, […]

The post How to Make a Will Legally Valid in New York (EPTL §3-2.1) appeared first on Wills & Estate Planning — New York State.

]]> What Happens If You Die Without a Will in New York? https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-new-york/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:03:17 +0000 https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-new-york/ If you die without a will in New York, the state writes one for you. Your property does not simply go “to the family” in the way you might assume — instead, a rigid set of rules under the New York Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (EPTL) Article 4 decides exactly who inherits, in what […]

The post What Happens If You Die Without a Will in New York? appeared first on Wills & Estate Planning — New York State.

]]> Where to Store Your Will Safely in New York https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/where-to-store-your-will-safely-in-new-york/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:03:17 +0000 https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/where-to-store-your-will-safely-in-new-york/ The safest place to store your original will in New York is somewhere that is fireproof, locked, accessible to the people you trust, and known to your family — most often a fireproof home safe, your attorney’s secure document storage, or the will deposit service of your county Surrogate’s Court. The single worst place is […]

The post Where to Store Your Will Safely in New York appeared first on Wills & Estate Planning — New York State.

]]> Can I Write My Own Will in New York? (DIY & Holographic Risks) https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/can-i-write-my-own-will-in-new-york/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:03:17 +0000 https://willdraftingforfamilies.com/can-i-write-my-own-will-in-new-york/ Yes—you can legally write your own will in New York. The law does not require you to hire an attorney, and a will you prepare yourself is valid if it meets every formal requirement of New York’s Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (EPTL) §3-2.1. But that small word “if” carries enormous weight for your family. […]

The post Can I Write My Own Will in New York? (DIY & Holographic Risks) appeared first on Wills & Estate Planning — New York State.

]]>