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It outlines witnessing requirements, including the need for two witnesses over 18 and limits on who may benefit, and notes that remote witnessing is possible in England and Wales. It also covers how probate may invalidate a will if signature authorship cannot be determined, and describes potential time, cost, and tax consequences. The document further addresses fraud or coercion claims and the value of solicitor support for testamentary capacity and careful drafting.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/holographic-wills-avoid-pitfalls-and-validation-issues/489029/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/holographic-wills-avoid-pitfalls-and-validation-issues/489029.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"asda1da","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-31","2026-10-01",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":34},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is a Holographic Will?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"A Holographic Will is a handwritten alternative to a solicitor-drafted will. The entire document must be written in the testator’s own handwriting.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Do Holographic Wills need to be notarised or witnessed?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"They must be witnessed, but notarisation is not required. Two witnesses over 18 are needed, and they must not benefit from—or be married to or civilly partnered with—anyone who will benefit.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What happens if probate cannot confirm the will was signed by the testator?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"If the Probate Court cannot determine signature authorship, it may declare the will invalid. The court is likely to require affidavit evidence to establish that the testator actually signed it.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},489029,1793065395,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":34,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":81,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":39,"preview_page_count":4},3985747861852,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Holographic Wills  \nThis week, our specialist Wills Solicitors took part in the Law Society's Solicitor Chat, in which they discussed holographic wills and how to avoid the pitfalls and validation problems often associated with them.  \nWhat is a Holographic Will?  \nA Holographic Will is a handwritten alternative to a Solicitor drafted Will. It is prepared by the testator and the entire document must be written in their own handwriting.  \nDo Holographic Wills Need to be Witnessed or Notarised?  \nAll Wills must be witnessed, but there is no requirement for a Will to be notarised. In order to be valid, a Will must be executed (signed and witnessed) in accordance with the provisions of Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837.  \nYou need two witnesses, who must be over 18. They must not benefit from your Will, or be married to, or the civil partner of, anyone who will benefit. They do not need to read the Will, nor know about its contents, but they should know what they are witnessing.  \nCurrently, in England & Wales, signing can be witnessed both in person and remotely (e.g. by video conference) . If the strict formalities of Will execution are not complied with, then your Will may be held to be invalid.  \nCan a Holographic Will be Made Void if a Probate Court is Unable to Determine Whether the Will was Signed by the Testator? What Would be the Time, Cost and Tax Implications?  \nIf the Probate Court cannot determine whether a Will was signed by the testator, they may declare the Will invalid. They are likely to require affidavit evidence in order to establish whether the Will was in fact signed by the testator.  \nIf the Will is declared invalid, the law will not allow it to be followed. This means that a previous Will may end up applying or where if there is no previous Will, the estate will be dealt with in accordance with the intestacy rules.  \nThe cost and time involved in resolving will disputes can be substantial. If the intestacy rules dictate who inherits, the inheritance tax consequences are predetermined. The exact tax implications depend on the deceased's estate in question.  \nPage 1 Holographic Wills  \nTel: 0344 967 0793 | Email: [info@LA-Law.com](info@LA-Law.com | www.lesteraldridge.com)[ |](info@LA-Law.com | www.lesteraldridge.com)[ www.lesteraldridge.com](info@LA-Law.com | www.lesteraldridge.com)  \nLester Aldridge LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA ID: 463177) . It is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales under number OC321318 . Managing Partner: Tom Alder; Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration: Dan Baker-Mist (Financial Controller); Compliance Officer for Legal Practice: Joanne Clarke (Partner) -See more on the Lester Aldridge Privacy Policy  \n© 2026 Lester Aldridge  \nWhat Steps Can You Take if You Believe a Loved One’s Will is  \nFraudulent, or They Have Been Coerced?  \nIf you have reason to believe any type of fraud or coercion has taken place involving a Will, we recommend that you seek legal advice as soon as possible. It may even be necessary to involve the police.  \nUnfortunately, claims of this nature are often very difficult to prove and it is therefore important to seek legal advice, so that you can be advised of the best way forward taking into account all of the circumstances.  \nIf it is proved that a will is fraudulent or the testator has been coerced, then the Will is likely to be held invalid. It may also involve prosecution.  \nWhat Added Value Can a Solicitor Provide When Creating a Will to Help Demonstrate a Testator Was Of Sound Mind When Written?  \nThe capacity required to make a Will is known as testamentary capacity. If you do not have the testamentary capacity (i.e. sound mind) required to make your Will, it will not be valid.  \nA Will can be challenged on the grounds that the testator did not have the required mental capacity. Solicitorshave the necessary experience to be able to advise on this and limit the chances of a clai","cbCaio54J1od74AH","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaio54J1od74AH","pdf",124680,"English","# What is a Holographic Will?\n## What formalities are required?\n## Validity, probate, and disputes\n## Fraud, coercion, and testamentary capacity\n## Regulated vs unregulated will drafting services","[{\"question\":\"What is a Holographic Will?\",\"answer\":\"A Holographic Will is a handwritten alternative to a solicitor-drafted will. The entire document must be written in the testator’s own handwriting.\"},{\"question\":\"Do Holographic Wills need to be notarised or witnessed?\",\"answer\":\"They must be witnessed, but notarisation is not required. Two witnesses over 18 are needed, and they must not benefit from—or be married to or civilly partnered with—anyone who will benefit.\"},{\"question\":\"What happens if probate cannot confirm the will was signed by the testator?\",\"answer\":\"If the Probate Court cannot determine signature authorship, it may declare the will invalid. The court is likely to require affidavit evidence to establish that the testator actually signed it.\"}]","Holographic Wills - Avoid Pitfalls and Validation Issues | PDF",1790819641]