When is a notary required in a will?

• A. To make a will self-proving.
• B. To witness the will.
• C. To seal the document.
• D. To draft the will.

Answer: (D)

A notary’s involvement with a will is about verification, not creation. Notaries aren’t needed to draft a will—the person or an attorney usually writes it. The notary’s role comes into play when you want the will to be self-proving. In that setup, the testator and the witnesses sign a sworn affidavit in the presence of a notary, who then notarizes the document. This notarization (the self-proving affidavit) helps probate courts verify that the will was properly executed without needing to call the witnesses to testify later. The will itself still must meet all legal requirements (valid signature, proper witnesses, etc.). A notary is not required just to witness the will in every case, and sealing the document isn’t a standard requirement. So, a notary is specifically tied to creating a self-proving process, not to drafting or sealing the will.