Make Legal Tennessee Personal Planning Forms For Free

No, in Tennessee, you do not need to notarize your will to make it legal. However, Tennessee allows you to make your will "self-proving" and you'll need to go to a notary if you want to do that. A self-proving will speeds up probate because the court can accept the will without contacting the witnesses who signed it.

In most cases, wills are final and absolute. However, wills can be contested by people or parties who believe they would have been entitled to a share of the deceased person's estate provided that they have grounds to do so. In Tennessee, most wills are contested on two grounds: competence and undue influence.

Not all assets have to go through the probate process in Tennessee. If assets have a named beneficiary or are jointly held, then they usually go straight to the beneficiary or the surviving owner without needing to be probated.

Not only must the witnesses and testator sign the will, but they must all do so in the presence of each other. If one signs the will without the other being present, the will cannot be accepted. Tennessee requires strict compliance with these rules. If you do not meet any of these requirements, the will is invalid.

If you know what property you own and how you want to give it away, you are ready to make your will. You are not required to use an attorney to draft your will. However, you must follow state-specific guidelines for signing your will to make it a valid legal document in Tennessee.

Under Tennessee law, for a power of attorney to be valid it must either be signed in the presence of a notary or witnessed by two disinterested parties.