What are “Holographic” Wills?
Holographic wills are testaments that are entirely handwritten instead of being typed or printed. They are generally not as formal as typed wills and are therefore more suspect by law, for a greedy heir may more easily be able to persuade the testator to hastily write out a will without the proper amount of counsel or reflection. It is for these reasons that holographic wills are looked upon with general disfavor, are subject to closer scrutiny, and are less commonly recognized than other wills. Traditionally, the law of wills has been very slow to change but even it has begun to feel the impact of the “computer revolution.” Nevada, in 2001, added statutes that recognize “electronic wills,” apparently becoming the first state in the union to do so.
