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The only legal requirement is that you sign it in front of at least 2 witnesses and that those witnesses also sign the will. However, given the complexity of your personal circumstances and the impact that this document can have, you should consider working with a Massachusetts estate planning attorney.

No, in Massachusetts, it is not necessary to notarize your will to make it legal. Massachusetts does, however, allow you to make your will "self-proving." A self-proving will speeds up probate because the court can accept the will without contacting the witnesses who signed it.

Filing in Probate: A Will needs to be filed in the probate court. There may be other paperwork the decedent needs to file at the same time. Gathering Information: The executor needs to begin gathering information, such as identifying the heirs of the decedent as well as the decedent's assets and debts.

Typically, you have to probate the decedent's estate if you need to: Find out if the decedent's will is valid. Change the title (ownership) of real estate or personal property, such as bank accounts, stocks, or bonds, that is only in the decedent's name without any right of survivorship.

A handwritten will may be valid in Massachusetts, so long as all other legal requirements are satisfied, including those concerning signing, the will be witnessed by at least two people, the testator being of sound mind, and the absence of fraud.

Voluntary administration is a simplified probate procedure for an estate with minimal assets and no real estate. Find out how to file a voluntary administration for an estate and what forms you'll need.