Your Will, in your words.

Why make a Will

A Will is a simple document. Its absence is what gets complicated.

1. No one can predict the timing.A Will is made in good health and good time, not in a hospital room.
2. You decide, not a statute.Without a Will, your property passes by the law of succession that applies to you, whatever you would have wished.
3. It prevents disputes.Clear wording now saves your family years of disagreement and litigation later.
4. You can provide for the people the law may miss.A widowed daughter, a dependant relative, a faithful employee, a cause you care about.
5. A nominee is not automatically the owner.For bank accounts, society flats and shares, a nominee generally holds for the legal heirs. Your Will says who those should be. (Insurance nominated to a spouse, parent or child is an exception.)

What happens without one

When someone dies without a Will, it is called dying “intestate”.

1. The law picks your heirs.Each heir takes a fixed share, whether or not that suits the family’s real needs.
2. Everyone must agree, or go to court.Selling a flat or closing an account can need the signature of every heir, including those abroad or estranged.
3. Paperwork multiplies.Heirs may need a succession certificate, letters of administration, or indemnities and affidavits from every family member.

How to make it valid

A properly signed Will is short and ordinary. These steps matter more than the wording.

1. Sign it yourself.Sign at the end of the Will, and initial every page.
2. Two witnesses must see you sign.Each witness signs in your presence. Note their names and addresses. It is wiser that witnesses are not beneficiaries or their spouses.
3. Registration is optional.It helps keep a safe record, but registration alone does not prove a Will. Proper signing and attestation do.
4. Probate is no longer compulsory.Section 213 of the Indian Succession Act, which made probate compulsory in some cases, was omitted with effect from 21 December 2025. Executors may still choose to apply for it.
5. Review it when life changes.After a marriage, a birth, a death in the family, or buying or selling property.
6. Tell someone where it is.Your executor should know where the original is kept.

Draft yours now

About

Wills4You is a public-awareness initiative based on the lecture “Wills, Nominations & Succession” by Senior Advocate K. K. Ramani.

Contact

For an enquiry, write to us. We will respond by email or phone.