How many copies of a Will do I need?
One. In most jurisdictions, you only sign one original last will and testament if you go to an estate planning attorney. They will usually also provide you with a copy called a conformed copy. A conformed copy is an exact replica of the last will and testament, but it does not have the signatures of everybody that signed on that particular date.
A conformed copy
So if you were to sign your last will and testament, they would give you a conformed copy and there would be a blank where your signature is supposed to be, but your name would be under there as the person signing the last will and testament. And then it would also identify with blank spaces, who the witnesses are and also who your notary public is. That's called a conformed copy.
Original Documents
Now, the reality is most law firms will give you your original last will and testament with the wet signatures as what we call them the original. They will give you a conformed copy and then they will also give you photocopies of the original and usually a digital copy as well. But the one that the court is going to want to see in most jurisdictions, the one that they can actually probate is going to be that original last will and testament in most jurisdictions.
Probate
When you go to probate that last will and testament, you actually have to submit to the court, to the court clerk so that they can put in the probate file the original last will and testament. If it is a copy of a last will and testament, then that is grounds to contest it because we don't know whether or not that copy was actually doctored. We need the original last will and testament in most jurisdictions to probate an estate.
Estate Planning
I know I've thrown a lot at you today, so that's why we've prepared our free guide on estate planning. I'll put a link to it in the description below and in the comment section below that so that you can download it and get started in the right direction and to help you out even more. Watch this video up here and this video up here. If you enjoyed this video, then guys please smash that subscribe button and click on the like button and also click on that little bell so you'll get notified every time we post a new video. Have a great day and an awesome week. And as always, thanks for watching.
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Cortes Law Firm
5801 Broadway Extension Hwy Suite 110
Oklahoma City, OK, 73118
405-213-0856