2019 Michigan Compiled Laws
Chapter 700 - Estates and Protected Individuals Code
Act 386 of 1998 Estates and Protected Individuals Code (700.1101 - 700.8206)
Article-1 I - i Intestacy, Wills, and Donative Transfers (700.2101...700.2959)
386-1998-II-5 Part 5 Wills, Will Contracts, and Custody and Deposit of Wills (700.2501...700.2519)
Section 700.2504 Self-Proved Will.
Sec. 2504.
(1) A will may be simultaneously executed, attested, and made self-proved by acknowledgment of the will by the testator and 2 witnesses' sworn statements, each made before an officer authorized to administer oaths under the laws of the state in which execution occurs and evidenced by the officer's certificate, under official seal, in substantially the following form:
| I, ________________________, the testator, sign my name to |
| this document on __________, _____. I have taken an oath, |
| administered by the officer whose signature and seal appear on |
| this document, swearing that the statements in this document |
| are true. I declare to that officer that this document is my |
| will; that I sign it willingly or willingly direct another to |
| sign for me; that I execute it as my voluntary act for the |
| purposes expressed in this will; that I am 18 years of age |
| or older and under no constraint or undue influence; and that |
| I have sufficient mental capacity to make this will. |
| _________________________________ |
| (Signature) Testator |
| We, ________________________ and ________________________, |
| the witnesses, sign our names to this document and have taken |
| an oath, administered by the officer whose signature and seal |
| appear on this document, to swear that all of the following |
| statements are true: the individual signing this document as |
| the testator executes the document as his or her will, signs it |
| willingly or willingly directs another to sign for him or her, |
| and executes it as his or her voluntary act for the purposes |
| expressed in this will; each of us, in the testator's presence, |
| signs this will as witness to the testator's signing; and, to |
| the best of our knowledge, the testator is 18 years of age or |
| older, is under no constraint or undue influence, and has |
| sufficient mental capacity to make this will. |
| _________________________________ |
| (Signature) Witness |
| _________________________________ |
| (Signature) Witness |
| The State of ________________________________ |
| County of ___________________________________ |
| Sworn to and signed in my presence by ______________, the |
| testator, and sworn to and signed in my presence by |
| ___________________ and __________________, witnesses, on |
| ____________, __________. |
| month/day year |
| ____________________________________ |
| (SEAL) Signed |
| ____________________________________ |
| (official capacity of officer) |
(2) An attested will may be made self-proved at any time after its execution by the acknowledgment of the will by the testator and the sworn statements of the witnesses to the will, each made before an officer authorized to administer oaths under the laws of the state in which the acknowledgment occurs and evidenced by the officer's certificate, under the official seal, attached or annexed to the will in substantially the following form:
| The State of ________________________________ |
| County of ___________________________________ |
| We, ___________________, ___________________, and |
| ___________________, the testator and the witnesses, |
| respectively, whose names are signed to the attached will, |
| sign this document and have taken an oath, administered by the |
| officer whose signature and seal appear on this document, to |
| swear that all of the following statements are true: the |
| individual signing this document as the will's testator |
| executed the will as his or her will, signed it willingly or |
| willingly directed another to sign for him or her, and executed |
| it as his or her voluntary act for the purposes expressed in |
| the will; each witness, in the testator's presence, signed the |
| will as witness to the testator's signing; and, to the best of |
| the witnesses' knowledge, the testator, at the time of the |
| will's execution, was 18 years of age or older, was under no |
| constraint or undue influence, and had sufficient mental |
| capacity to make this will. |
| _________________________________ |
| (Signature) Testator |
| _________________________________ |
| (Signature) Witness |
| _________________________________ |
| (Signature) Witness |
| Sworn to and signed in my presence by ___________, the |
| testator, and sworn to and signed in my presence by |
| ________________ and _______________, witnesses, on |
| ____________, __________. |
| month/day year |
| ____________________________________ |
| (SEAL) Signed |
| ____________________________________ |
| (official capacity of officer) |
(3) A codicil to a will may be simultaneously executed and attested, and both the codicil and the original will made self-proved, by acknowledgment of the codicil by the testator and by witnesses' sworn statements, each made before an officer authorized to administer oaths under the laws of the state in which execution occurs and evidenced by the officer's certificate, under official seal, in substantially the following form:
| I, _______________, the testator, sign my name to this |
| document on __________, _____. I have taken an oath, |
| administered by the officer whose signature and seal appear on |
| this document, swearing that the statements in this document |
| are true. I declare to that officer that this document is a |
| codicil to my will; that I sign it willingly or willingly |
| direct another to sign for me; that I execute it as my |
| voluntary act for the purposes expressed in this codicil; and |
| that I am 18 years of age or older, and under no constraint or |
| undue influence; and that I have sufficient mental capacity to |
| make this codicil. |
| _________________________________ |
| (Signature) Testator |
| We, _______________ and _______________, the witnesses, |
| sign our names to this document and have taken an oath, |
| administered by the officer whose signature and seal appear on |
| this document, to swear that all of the following statements |
| are true: the individual signing this document as the testator |
| executes the document as a codicil to his or her will, signs it |
| willingly or willingly directs another to sign for him or her, |
| and executes it as his or her voluntary act for the purposes |
| expressed in this codicil; each of us, in the testator's |
| presence, signs this codicil as witness to the testator's |
| signing; and, to the best of our knowledge, the testator is |
| 18 years of age or older, is under no constraint or undue |
| influence, and has sufficient mental capacity to make |
| this codicil. |
| _________________________________ |
| (Signature) Witness |
| _________________________________ |
| (Signature) Witness |
| The State of ________________________________ |
| County of ___________________________________ |
| Sworn to and signed in my presence by ___________, the |
| testator, and sworn to and signed in my presence by |
| ________________ and _______________, witnesses, on |
| ____________, __________. |
| month/day year |
| ____________________________________ |
| (SEAL) Signed |
| ____________________________________ |
| (official capacity of officer) |
(4) If necessary to prove the will's due execution, a signature affixed to a self-proving sworn statement attached to a will is considered a signature affixed to the will.
(5) Instead of the testator and witnesses each making a sworn statement before an officer authorized to administer oaths as prescribed in subsections (1) to (3), a will or codicil may be made self-proved by a written statement that is not a sworn statement. This statement shall state, or incorporate by reference to an attestation clause, the facts regarding the testator and the formalities observed at the signing of the will or codicil as prescribed in subsections (1) to (3). The testator and witnesses shall sign the statement, which must include its execution date and must begin with substantially the following language: "I certify (or declare) under penalty for perjury under the law of the state of Michigan that...".
History: 1998, Act 386, Eff. Apr. 1, 2000 ;-- Am. 2000, Act 54, Eff. Apr. 1, 2000 ;-- Am. 2009, Act 46, Eff. Apr. 1, 2010
Popular Name: EPIC
