Does a Last Will and Testament need to be signed to be valid

One of the most hotly litigated issues that comes about is a situation where a Last Will and Testament has been created by a testator but it was not signed. Although the courts are many times split on this issue the fact of the matter is that a Will needs to be signed in order for it to be valid. One of the main benefits of creating a Will is exactly set out who is to receive what from your estate and the exact division of your estate. Essentially this is tool to show your true and actual intent as it pertains to all the assets that you have accumulated through the years. When you properly and accurately layout your intent in a Will and sign that legal document then essentially you will be avoiding one of the most difficult legal issues to be involved in – probate court. Probate court is where all cases that have to do with disputes related with inheritance, estates, wills, or trusts are litigated. When a person passes away without have this legal document then in essence the courts are given the responsibility of figuring out what is the most equitable way of splitting up your estate. Along with that they may actually make some decisions that may seem contrary to what exactly you may have wanted. For example, you may have wanted to leave your sports car collection to your brother but instead because your Will is not valid the courts may decide that you wife is entitled to the assets. This could have all been avoided had the proper legal document been created, signed, and recorded in the appropriate county office. Although in general a Will is not required, it is however very much a powerful tool to avoid a lot of litigation and legal costs in the future associated with the estate.