MI · Will guide
Michigan will requirements (dated holographics, soft interested-witness rule)
You're going to die. Michigan already wrote a default ending for your stuff if you don't. MCL 700.2502 wants a written will, your signature (or a directed proxy in conscious presence), and two people who sign within a reasonable time after they watch you sign or hear you acknowledge.
Michigan is UPC-flavored, but it is not an Arizona name-swap. Holographics must be dated. An interested witness does not invalidate the will under §2505. Self-proving can use sworn forms or an unsworn certification under penalty of perjury. Those deltas are why this page exists.
The short version
How to sign a will in Michigan
Under MCL 700.2502(1):
- Will in writing.
- You sign it, or another person signs in your conscious presence by your direction.
- At least two individuals sign within a reasonable time after they witnessed either the signing or your acknowledgment of the signature or will.
"Reasonable time" is not "next tax season." Get the pens while the ceremony is still a memory, not folklore. Electronic and remote wills: out of scope / VERIFY. Not marketed here.
Michigan will witnesses
A generally competent person may witness. An interested witness does not invalidate the will or any provision (MCL 700.2505).
Contrast with Arizona: for wills executed on or after October 1, 2019, Arizona bans devisees and certain relatives as witnesses unless the will is self-proved. Michigan does not run that ban. Soft statute, not a dare. Prefer disinterested witnesses for contest optics anyway.
Do not paste Arizona §14-2505 copy into a Michigan page.
Do you need a notary for a Michigan will
For validity under §2502: no.
Self-proving under §2504 can be simultaneous or later. Subsection (5) allows an unsworn certification under penalty of perjury as an alternative to a classic sworn form. That perjury-cert option is a Michigan teaching point.
Self-proving does not replace §2502 formalities. It is a proof package.
Michigan will mistakes that hurt later
- Undated "holographic." MCL 700.2502(2) wants a date on a holographic will.
- Waiting forever on "reasonable time" witness signatures. Get the pens while people still remember the room.
- AZ-clone copy that invents a devisee/relative witness ban. Michigan §2505 is soft. Arizona is harsh. Do not swap.
- Overselling harmless-error §2503 as "any napkin works." Clear and convincing evidence path. Educational mention only. Not the primary product path.
What is a holographic will in Michigan
A will is valid as holographic whether or not witnessed if it is dated and the signature and material portions are in the testator's handwriting (MCL 700.2502(2)).
The date requirement is the FAQ hook vs many UPC siblings. Killswitch's signing instructions target the formal witnessed path.
MCL 700.2503 allows a writing intended as a will to be treated as one if clear and convincing evidence shows intent. That is a litigation path, not a DIY slogan. Do not treat it as "any scrap of paper works."
How Killswitch helps with a Michigan will
Killswitch drafts your Michigan will and prints signing instructions for the two-witness path under §2502, without pasting Arizona's interested-witness ban into your document.
Free to write and read. Pay once for the finished copy. You still run the ceremony. We do not notarize. We are not your lawyer.
Free to write and read. Pay once for the finished copy. Signing instructions for your state print on the document.
Check signing requirements by state · Full Michigan estate planning hub
Frequently asked questions
How many witnesses for a Michigan will
At least two individuals who each sign within a reasonable time after witnessing the signing or acknowledgment under MCL 700.2502(1).
Do I need a notary for a Michigan will
No, a notary is not required for validity under §2502. Self-proving under §2504 may use sworn forms or an unsworn certification under penalty of perjury.
Can an interested witness sign a Michigan will
Yes. An interested witness does not invalidate the will or any provision under MCL 700.2505. Prefer disinterested witnesses for contest optics. Do not confuse this with Arizona's post-2019 devisee/relative ban.
Are holographic wills valid in Michigan
Yes, if dated and the signature and material portions are in the testator's handwriting (MCL 700.2502(2)), whether or not witnessed. This page focuses on formal witnessed wills.
What is Michigan self-proving
Optional under MCL 700.2504. Forms may be sworn, or an unsworn certification under penalty of perjury under subsection (5). Self-proving does not replace §2502 formalities.
Sources
MI will
Start your Michigan will in plain English.
Free to write and read. Pay once for the finished copy. Signing instructions for your state print on the document.
Killswitch is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. This page is educational information about Michigan statutes, not advice about your situation. Laws change. Read the cited sources and talk to a licensed attorney if your estate is complicated (business, trust, fight already in progress, or anything that already has lawyers in it). We put signing instructions on your document in plain English. You still have to follow your state's rules when you sign.
