Signing a Will
La. C.C. art. 1574 — a testament is olographic, in the testator's own hand, or notarial, before a notary and two witnesses
A gift at death may be made only in the form of a testament the law authorizes, and there are two: olographic and notarial.
| Form | What it takes |
|---|---|
| FormOlographic | What it takesEntirely written, dated and signed in the testator's own handwriting, and nothing more |
| FormNotarial | What it takesWritten and dated, executed before a notary and two witnesses, and signed by the testator, each witness and the notary |
- In either form, the signature and the date may appear anywhere, and the date may be clarified by other evidence.
- A testator who cannot sign a notarial testament may make a mark, or direct another person to sign in the testator's presence.
- No one may witness a testament who is insane, blind, under sixteen, or unable to sign his name.
A testament that misses a required formality can fail entirely. A particular will is a question for a licensed Louisiana attorney or notary.
Sources for this section (5)
- La. C.C. art. 1570 — Testaments; form
- La. C.C. art. 1574 — Forms of testaments
- La. C.C. art. 1575 — Olographic testament; requirements of form
- La. C.C. art. 1576 — Notarial testament; requirements of form
- La. C.C. art. 1581 — Persons incompetent to be witnesses
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Louisiana attorney.