Signing a Will
18-C M.R.S. § 2-502 — in writing, signed, and two witnesses, or in the testator's own hand
- A will is in writing.
- It is signed by the testator, or in the testator's name by someone else in the testator's conscious presence and at the testator's direction.
- It is signed by at least 2 witnesses, each within a reasonable time after seeing the signing or the testator's acknowledgment of it.
Who handles this in Maine: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Maine directory.
A will in the testator's own hand. A will that does not meet those rules is still valid as a holographic will, witnessed or not, if the signature and the material parts are in the testator's handwriting.
Anyone generally competent to be a witness may witness a will, and an interested witness does not invalidate it. A will signed under the law of the place it was signed, or where the testator lived, is valid here too.
Sources for this section (3)
- 18-C M.R.S. § 2-502 — Execution; holographic wills
- 18-C M.R.S. § 2-504 — Who may witness a will
- 18-C M.R.S. § 2-505 — Choice of law as to execution
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maine attorney.