How do I make a will that's actually valid?

A valid will doesn't need a lawyer or fancy language. It needs the right content and — this is the part people miss — the right signing. A beautifully written will that's signed wrong is worthless; a plain one signed correctly is ironclad.

What it has to say

At a minimum: your name and state, a line revoking older wills, who inherits (at least a “residuary” person who gets everything else, plus a backup if they die first), and an executor with a successor. If you have minor children, name a guardian — for many parents that's the whole reason to make one.

What actually makes it legal — the signing

Almost every state requires you to sign in front of two competent adult witnesses, together, who then sign too. Pick witnesses who aren't inheriting anything — that sidesteps a pile of technical rules. Then add a “self-proving affidavit” signed before a notary: it lets the court accept the will later without tracking down your witnesses, and skipping it is the most common avoidable cost. A handful of states (like Louisiana) work differently, and a few don't use that affidavit at all — the rules that apply to you depend on your state.

After you sign

Store the original somewhere safe and tell your executor where it is — a photocopy isn't good enough, because a missing original is presumed destroyed on purpose. Don't scribble changes on it later; that takes a proper amendment (a “codicil”) or a new will.

Our will builder walks you through each of these, applies your state's specific rules, and hands you a signing checklist for the part that counts. You can start it free and save your progress.