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Your Connecticut will done quickly and easily

If you die without a will in Connecticut, a court will distribute your property according to default state laws (intestacy laws). These laws favor spouses, children, and other close relatives as heirs. But they might not match your preferences and family’s needs precisely. A will empowers you to avoid these default laws. Through a will, you can make your own choices about who will receive your property and who will be your minor children’s guardians.

With FindLaw, you can easily create a will. Click on the links below to jump down the page:

Last updated: January 24, 2022

Written by:

Jeff Burtka, Esq.

Contributing Author

Reviewed by:

Bridget Molitor, J.D.

Managing Editor

Connecticut will options for your family

Last Will and Testament
For One Person

A do-it-yourself last will that’s easy to personalize.

$79

What’s included:

Step-by-step guided process

Attorney-approved document compliant with your state’s laws

A last will and testament that’s customized to your wishes

Free changes and revisions to your will for up to one full year after purchase

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BEST VALUE

Estate Planning Package
For One person

All the forms you need to create a personal estate plan

$135

What’s included:

Last will and testament

Health care directive

Power of attorney

Free HIPAA release form

A comprehensive plan — for less

Free changes and revisions for up to one year after purchase

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How It Works

It only takes minutes to control your future. Need help? Contact one of our directory attorneys.

Create an account

Create a secure account which is accessible through an easy dashboard you can access any time.

Gather information

You will need a list of your assets, contact information for important people, and any wishes you want to be honored when you’re gone.

Complete your documents

Answer all questions, then we’ll generate your digital documents for downloading, printing, and signing.

Make it legal

Carefully follow the instructions provided in the form, which may include signing your documents in front of witnesses or a notary.

What’s next to make my Connecticut will valid?

Validate your will by following these steps:

Choose an executor

An executor (sometimes called a “personal representative”) is the person who is responsible for overseeing the administration of your estate. They will pay off your debts through your estate and distribute your assets according to your will’s instructions. This happens through a court-supervised process called probate. You should choose someone you trust as your executor, like a spouse, adult child, or sibling for this role.

List your beneficiaries

Your beneficiaries are the individuals or entities you choose to receive your property after your death. These may be people, like close loved ones or friends. Or you may choose to leave property to a charitable organization or a trust. Leaving money to a trust can be a good way to provide for a minor child. With a trust, you can name a trustee to manage your children’s finances on their behalf. You can even leave money to provide for the care of animals through a pet trust.

List your assets

A comprehensive list of your assets will help your executor distribute your property according to your instructions. When listing your assets, you should include all of your real property and personal property. Real property refers to real estate like homes, investment properties, and land. Personal property covers your other possessions, including vehicles, jewelry, heirlooms, furniture, and any other property. If you would like to leave specific possessions to certain people, you should make this clear in your will.

List your non-probate assets

Not all property can be transferred through a will. If you have a life insurance policy, annuities, trusts, or retirement accounts with named beneficiaries, they will pass directly to the beneficiaries. If you own property jointly with the right of survivorship, the property will pass automatically to your joint owner. You cannot change these designations through your will. But you should make a list of these properties to help your executor manage their distribution.

List your debts

When your estate goes into probate, your creditors can make claims for payments out of the value of the estate. To help your executor handle these claims, you can make a list of your debts. Be sure to include any credit card balances, mortgages, loans, outstanding taxes, and other obligations.

Choose guardians for minor children

For parents of minor children, one of the most important aspects of a will can be naming guardians for your children. This way, you know that if anything were to happen to you and your children’s other parent, your children will be cared for by a guardian of your choice. Make sure to choose a guardian who is trustworthy and willing to take on this responsibility. Choosing an appropriate guardian will help to avoid family conflict and court proceedings regarding your choice.

Sign your will

You should sign your will in the presence of two witnesses who are not beneficiaries to your will. The witnesses should also sign your will in your presence. Make sure to choose witnesses who do not stand to gain anything from your will (disinterested witnesses). If your beneficiaries witness your will, their inheritance might be voided under Connecticut law. If you would like to create a self-proving will, you will need to ask your witnesses to swear to a self-proving affidavit in front of a notary public.

Distribute your will and store it in a safe place

After you have signed your will, you should give a copy to your executor and attorney (if you have one). You should also make sure to let your loved ones know that you have executed a will. It’s a good idea to keep a copy of your will in a safe place that a trusted person can access. For many people, a good option is to keep their will in a locked safe that they share with a loved one.

You may want to speak with a lawyer if you:

Have a past divorce, blended family, or other complex family situation
Have a high-value estate
Own a business
Want to create a special needs trust
Want legal review of your completed will

Find a local estate planning lawyer

Ready to begin your Connecticut will?

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Common questions about Connecticut wills

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What are the legal requirements for a Connecticut will?

A legally valid will must fulfill certain basic requirements in Connecticut:

It must be in writing
You must be of sound mind when you sign your will
You should sign the will in the presence of two witnesses. The witnesses should then sign your will. You should choose witnesses who are not beneficiaries to your will. If your beneficiaries witness your will, they may lose their inheritance.

Connecticut law further provides that if you created your will in another state, following that state’s requirements, it is a valid will in Connecticut.

What is the difference between a will and a living will?

A will is the cornerstone of a good estate plan. With a will, you provide for the distribution of your assets according to your wishes and you choose guardians for your minor children.

A living will is a legal document that you use to specify your medical care wishes and end-of-life treatment decisions. Your living will would only go into effect if you were to become incapacitated and unable to make your own health care decisions. It does not replace a will because it cannot be used to distribute your property, and it is only valid during your lifetime.

Is a handwritten will valid in Connecticut?

A fully handwritten, unwitnessed will is known as a holographic will. Connecticut law does not recognize holographic wills as valid. The exception to this might be if you created a holographic will in a state where it was legally valid, then moved to Connecticut.

Even if you created a holographic will in a state where it was valid, probate judges may be hesitant to recognize these wills. The handwriting can be difficult to interpret and validate, leading to will challenges and additional legal fees. To relieve your loved ones of these problems down the line, you and your two witnesses should sign a printed will.

With FindLaw, you can easily follow the steps to create a valid, customized Connecticut will from the convenience of your home computer.

Do I have to notarize my Connecticut will?

No, you are not legally required to notarize a will in Connecticut. But if you would like to make your will self-proving, you will need a notary public’s services. When a will is self-proving, the probate court does not need to call your witnesses to testify that your will is authentic. Instead, the court can automatically accept your will as valid and move on with administering your estate.

To make your will self-proving, you need to ask your witnesses to swear to a self-proving affidavit in front of a notary public.

How much do I have to leave my spouse in my will?

You cannot completely disinherit your spouse in Connecticut. If you leave your spouse nothing, or very little, they may choose to take a “statutory share” of your estate instead of what you left them. This share is equal to one-third of your estate.

However, your spouse is only entitled to have this property as a life estate. In other words, your spouse would have the right to use their statutory share during their lifetime but could not pass it on to their heirs.

What happens to my will if I get divorced?

If you get divorced after signing your will, Connecticut law voids your will’s provisions related to your former spouse. So, your former spouse will not receive any gifts from your will after your divorce unless you make it clear that a divorce will not affect your will’s distributions.

If you go through a divorce after signing your will, it’s a good idea to create a new will. With a new will, you revoke prior wills, and you can update your distributions. You can then add or remove beneficiaries as necessary. With FindLaw, you can make as many changes to your will as you need for a full year after purchase.

Want an attorney to review your will?

Contact an experienced estate planning lawyer near you.