What makes a will valid in Arizona?

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Accepted Answer

Arizona law gives you two separate, independent ways to make a valid will: a witnessed will or a holographic will.

Witnessed will. A paper will is valid if it is (1) in writing, (2) signed by the testator — or by another person in the testator's conscious presence and at the testator's direction — and (3) signed by at least two witnesses, each of whom signed within a reasonable time after witnessing the testator's signing or the testator's acknowledgment of the signature or of the will .

Holographic will. A will that does not meet the witnessed-will requirements is still valid as a holographic will — whether or not it was witnessed — if the signature and the material provisions are in the testator's own handwriting . For a holographic will, the intent that the document serve as the testator's will can be established by extrinsic evidence, including portions of the document that are not in the testator's handwriting .

Wills executed elsewhere. Even if a will does not comply with Arizona's execution rules, it is valid in Arizona if its execution complied with the law in effect at the time of execution in the place where the testator was physically present when signing, or with the law of the place where the testator was domiciled, had a place of abode, or was a national, either at execution or at death .