Self-Proving Affidavit
A notarized statement signed by the testator and witnesses confirming the will was properly executed. It lets the probate court accept the will without locating the witnesses to testify — the main reason to involve a notary in a will at all.
What it means
Most states authorize a statutory self-proving affidavit executed with the will or afterward. Without one, probate may require witness testimony or hunting down witnesses years later. The affidavit does not make a will valid — witnesses do that — it makes the will provable. State statutes prescribe specific affidavit language, so a state-conforming form matters.
Primary sources
Read more
- Is an Online Will Legal? State Rules That Decide (2026) — Online wills are legal in all 50 states when signed and witnessed correctly. See the exact execution rules that make or break validity, state by state.