• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • About Our Firm
    • Career Opportunities
    • Meet Our Team
    • News and Events
    • Seniors Rock Radio
  • Estate Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Planning
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Family Farm Succession Planning
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • IRA Planning
      • Planning With An IRA
      • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning Services
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
    • Young Families
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Elder Law Reports
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Veteran’s Benefits
  • Resources
    • Definitions
    • FREE Estate Planning Worksheet
    • FREE Webinars
    • Estate Administration Legal Guide
    • Estate Planning Articles
      • Questions for Your Estate Planning Attorney Before Creating Your First Estate Plan
      • How to Create Your First Estate Plan in 2022
      • How to Choose a Guardian for Your Child
      • Address These Three Questions in Your First Estate Plan
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Adult Guardianship
      • Alzheimer’s Care
      • Custodial Accounts for Minors
      • Estate Planning
      • FAQs for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Elder Law
      • IRA & Retirement Planning
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Legacy Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Medicare and Social Security
      • Probate
      • Probate Avoidance
      • Irrevocable Trusts
      • Trust Administration
      • Trusts
      • Veterans’ Benefits
      • Wills
    • Newsletters
    • Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning for Niches
      • Trust Administration
    • Top Estate Planning Techniques
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Medicaid Planning
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
    • Medicaid Frequently Asked Questions
    • Medicaid Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.

Estate Planning Services in Rochester, New York and the Finger Lakes Area

Connect With Us Today

(585) 374-5210
Law Pay Button
Attend a Free Webinar
Home » Wills & Trusts » What is a Self-Proving Will?

What is a Self-Proving Will?

December 27, 2010Wills & Trusts

In order for a Will to be valid in New York, there are certain conditions that must be met. These conditions include the Will being signed by the testator, which is the person creating the Will, as well as the Will being witnessed and signed by two witnesses who confirm the testator’s signature. In Surrogate’s Court, a Will is authenticated when a person dies, and the estate is then administered.

A self-proving Will saves your witnesses time and inconvenience by not requiring a court appearance to reaffirm the Will. It also provides an additional layer of authentication that can help your beneficiaries avoid a long, drawn out probate process. A self-proving Will can be particularly helpful when one or more of your witnesses cannot be located or they have since passed away.

A self-proving Will, or a self-proving affidavit attached to a Will, simply certifies that the witnesses and testator properly signed the Will. The self-proving affidavit acts as a substitute for the witnesses’ live testimony. The affidavit has the same function of the witnesses’ testimony, it is evidence of personal knowledge, and because the witness swears an oath, the affidavit is presumed to be truthful. In a self-proving affidavit, each witness swears an oath and signs an affidavit that recites the statements that they would make in court were they called to testify. These statements normally refer to the capacity of the testator, as well as the signature requirements. The self-proving affidavit is normally signed at the same time as the signing and execution of the Will.

The laws that govern estates, trusts and Wills are very specific, and they differ from state to state. It is important that you work with a qualified estate planning attorney in your state of residence to not only make sure that your documents are valid and legal, but to ensure that your family’s needs and goals are met.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney
Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney
Clients notice Michael Robinson’s unique approach to his estate planning practice the minute they walk through his office doors.
Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney
Latest posts by Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney (see all)
  • How Estate Planning for a Family May Trap the Unwary Practitioner - August 31, 2022
  • State Income Taxation of Social Security Benefits - August 24, 2022
  • Understanding Tax Apportionment Clauses - August 17, 2022

Other Articles You May Find Useful

estate planning
What is a Living Trust?
revocable living trusts
Revocable Living Trusts: Who Can Act as Trustee?
Rochester living trust attorneys
Steps for a New Trustee to Take
rochester living trust
Why Your Heirs Would Prefer If You Make a Rochester Living Trust
Naples Trust Attorney
What if You Make the Wrong Kind of Trust?
estate planning attorneys
When is a Will Not Enough?

Primary Sidebar

Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.

Blog Subscription

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkdin
  • Youtube

TESTIMONIALS

News & Events

Seniors Rock Radio Show Recording 5-1-21

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U7UkQbEGy-xY7XFAXvX9Qz7pKSVDVV3D/view?usp=drive_web   Author Recent Posts Michael Robinson, Estate Planning AttorneyClients notice Michael Robinson’s unique approach to his estate planning practice the minute they walk through his office doors. Latest posts by Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney (see all) How Estate Planning for a Family May Trap the Unwary Practitioner -... Read more →

Pittsford Office

1163 Pittsford-Victor Road, Suite 120 (Powder Mill Office Park)
Pittsford, NY 14534-3817
Phone: (585) 374-5210
Fax: (585) 485-0394

See Larger Map Get Directions

Map

mrobinson_sidbr_map

Footer

  • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
  • About The American Academy
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkdin
  • Youtube
robinson law logo

The Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.

Attorney Advertisement


© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.