The North Carolina Last Will and Testament is a legal document that is planned and prescribed by a testator to ensure that the estate held by the testator is properly distributed according to their wishes by a trusted executor upon their death. This document will likely offer ongoing financial protection to their family when the testator is no longer available to care for them, but could also provide for friends, extended family, selected organizations among others. The testator will likely have an executor or representative who they trust to oversee distribution of real property, digital, personal, fiduciary and other types of property. The document will require witnesses willing to provide signatures and a notary public will be required to witness and acknowledge those signatures. It should be understood that the as long as the testator is of sound mind, they may elect to change or revoke the document at any time they so desire.

Laws – Chapter 31 (Wills)

Signing (G.S. 31-3.3) – Signed by the testator and attested by at least two (2) competent witnesses.

How to Write

Step 1 – The establishment of ownership of the document is as simple as placing the full name of the testator in the top field of the document. The following must then be entered below the title:

• Testator’s name
• City
• County
• Reading of the remaining section
• Review of the title “Expenses and Taxes”

Step 2 – Nominate and Appoint the Executor (representative) –

• Testator must propose their appointment of their selected executor
• City of their residence
• County of their residence
• State

The testator should seriously consider provision of an alternate appointed executor in the event of illness or for any reason the initial selected executor should become unable or unwilling to serve the distribution of the estate- Once this person has been decided, provide the following information:

• Name of the 2nd selected representative (executor)
• City and County
• 2nd Selected executor’s residential state

Step 3 – Disposition of Property to Stated Beneficiaries:

Beneficiaries  – The following information is required:

• Name of each respective beneficiary
• Enter an address for each person named
• Specify the beneficiary’s relationship to the testator
• Enter the last four digits of the SSN for all named beneficiaries (required)
• Provide description(s) of any property bequeathed to each person named in the document

Step 4 – Advised review all of the titled sections, as follows:

• Omission
• Bond
• Discretionary Powers of Personal Representative
• Contesting Beneficiary
• Guardian Ad Litem  Not Required
• Gender
• Assignment
• Governing Law
• Binding Arrangement

Step 5 – Signatures – Persons who shall serve as signatories, must be collectively present during the signing of the document. Also enter:

• Name the Testator
• Date the testator’s signature
• Testator’s signature
• Testator’s printed name

Witnesses – Witnesses review the section, then enter:

• The signatures must be dated in dd/mm/yyyy format
• Name of the testator

Witness 1 – 

• Signature
• Current Address of witness

Witness 2 –

• Signature
• Current Address of witness

Step 6 – Testament of Affidavit – All parties must review and then enter the following:

• State of
• County of
• Enter the Testator’s name
• Witness name
• Witness name
• AND
• Testator must provide signature
• 1st Witness must provide signature
• 2nd Witness must provide signature

Step 7 – Notarization of Document – The remainder of the document will be completed by the notary as required.