Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

Either two witnesses or handwritten (not notarized). But don't do this. Look through the LawGuru knowledgebase and you'll find lots of examples of messed-up estate plans. It's not expensive to have it done right by an attorney.

California has a statutory form will. If you are doing something simple, like dividing your stuff between your spouse or kids, you might take a look at that. It contains clear instructions. I agree with Mr. Stone, though. It's risky to do it yourself if you have anything of significant value, or if you don't want your kids fighting among themselves.

Documents only need to be notarized if they are going to be recorded. Wills aren't normally recorded.

I suggest talking to an attorney, and perhaps reading up on estate planning. Many people think that what they prepare on a form (such as the ones on LegalZoom, which contain a space for a notary that is not needed) that they have taken care of estate planning matters, but rather they have opened up a can of worms.

An experienced estate planning attorney can set you in the right direction for a lot cheaper than you think,