Where To Get a Will Witnessed and Notarized

iEditorial Note: These blog posts represent the opinion of DoNotPay’s Writers, but each person’s situation and circumstances vary greatly. As a result, you should make sure to do your own independent research. Because everyone is unique, our self-help tools are never guaranteed to help with any specific situation. DoNotPay is not a law firm and is not licensed to practice law. DoNotPay provides a platform for legal information and self-help.

Where To Get a Will Witnessed and Notarized With DoNotPay’s Help

Your will ensures your legacy is safe and lasting. Once you have made all the big decisions on how to divide your estate between your beneficiaries, your final step is to have your will witnessed and notarized. The notary signature ensures that your will becomes a legal document and that it can't be contested after your death.

We know how important it is to understand how to notarize a document. DoNotPay is here to help you find out where to get a will witnessed and notarized easily.

What Is Involved in Witnessing and Notarizing a Will?

Before your will becomes a legally binding document, it must be witnessed and notarized. Both these steps are essential to make sure that no one can contest your will in court.

But what do these steps mean? Here is the explanation:

  1. Witnessing
  2. Notarizing

Witnessing

In most states, you need two people to verify that you are signing your will, are of sound mind, and are not under duress.

There are a few requirements for your choice of witnesses. They must be:

  • Of adult age (normally over 18, but some states may stipulate 21)
  • Not named as beneficiaries in your will
  • Not close relatives or the spouse of the will-maker or testator

Your witnesses must be present when you sign your will.

Notarizing

Using a notary service verifies that you are who you claim to be and that your will has been signed by you and your witnesses and not by someone else.

This means that you and your witnesses will have to sign your will in the presence of the notary, not beforehand. The notary then stamps, signs, and dates the document to attest to this.

The alternative to signing the will itself is to sign a self-proving affidavit, which is a separate document that attests that your witnesses understand what they are signing and why. The affidavit is attached to your will as proof of its validity.

Where Can I Have My Will Notarized?

There are many options for having your will notarized. You can find notaries in the following locations:

Type of NotaryLocation

In-person notary

Notaries can be found in the following locations, among others:
  • Banks, such as Wells Fargo or Bank of America
  • Credit unions
  • Shipping facilities, like the UPS
  • Accountancy practices
  • AAA stores
  • Law firms
  • Courthouses
  • Public libraries
  • Car dealerships
  • Police departments
  • Realty agents
  • City or county clerk’s offices

Mobile notary

Mobile notaries travel to your location to perform their duties

Online notary

Online notaries offer notarial services via video calls. Bear in mind that online notarization is currently only allowed in the following states:

Some states have introduced legislation to allow you to notarize documents via notaries from other states due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is best to check with your state authorities

How Do I Witness and Notarize My Will?

If you use any of the options above, you will need to go through the following steps:

  1. Choose your witnesses, making sure they are acceptable under the law
  2. Find a notary
  3. Book an appointment
  4. Take all the necessary documents with you
  5. Attend the appointment together with your witnesses

You will have to arrange everything yourself, and you may have to wait a considerable time before an appointment slot becomes available. If you decide to visit a notary in person, you and your witnesses will have to travel to the notary’s offices and possibly wait in line.

You can avoid all this hassle by using DoNotPay’s notary service. DoNotPay can make witnessing and notarizing your will quick and painless.

How Does DoNotPay’s Notarization Service Work?

DoNotPay can arrange everything you need to get your legal documents notarized.

Our notarization service is easy to use—all you have to do is follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to DoNotPay in your web browser and
  2. Look for the Notarize Any Document section
  3. Upload your will
  4. Fill in your email address

Within a short time, we will contact you with a choice of appointments. Once you have chosen your slot, you and your witnesses should attend the online video meeting in which the notary will verify your identities and witness the signing of your will by all the parties. Your will is then notarized, and your legacy is secured.

DoNotPay knows that notarization can seem complicated, so we have a wealth of information to help you understand the process, including articles on:

What Other Services Can DoNotPay Offer?

In tandem with our notarization service, we can help you for many of your needs.

On our website, you can:

  1. Look for the legal document template you need
  2. Fill in the details you want included
  3. Wait briefly while your legal document is created

We offer the following contract templates and legal documents, among others:

BusinessPersonalProperty
  • Operating agreement
  • Non-disclosure agreement
  • Non-compete agreement
  • Prenuptial agreement
  • Custody agreement
  • General affidavit
  • Lease agreement
  • Intent to purchase real estate letter
  • Quitclaim deed

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Communication and new technologies walk hand in hand, and DoNotPay can smooth out any bumps on that road. On our platform, you can find useful tools for avoiding phishing emails and text messages, sending faxes online, stopping annoying robocalls, or signing up for new services without phone verification.

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