Glossary

Testator

The person making a will — the figure every execution requirement is written around.

Execution requirements are written around the testator: a minimum age, the capacity to understand what they are doing, and a signature made or acknowledged in the presence of whatever witnesses the state requires. The minimum age is eighteen almost everywhere, with exceptions worth knowing. Several states lower it for someone who is or has been married, or who is serving in the armed forces. Louisiana sets sixteen.

← All terms