Can You Make a Will Online in Michigan? What's Actually Legal in 2026

Almost every question we get from Michigan residents starts the same way: "Can I just make my will online?" The short answer is yes - you can DRAFT the will online, and doing so is legitimate and cheap. But you cannot LEGALIZE the will fully online in Michigan. Michigan has NOT adopted the Uniform Electronic Wills Act. Under MCL 700.2502, a valid Michigan will must be in writing, signed by the person making it (the "testator"), and signed by two competent witnesses. E-signatures alone are not enough. Video-only signings are not enough. This guide breaks down what the law actually says, which online services get it right, and how to combine online drafting with in-person signing to get a valid, low-cost Michigan will done in an afternoon.

The 30-Second Answer

You can create a legally valid Michigan will using online tools - but only by combining online drafting with an in-person or two-way live video signing ceremony. Michigan does not currently recognize a will that is signed exclusively with electronic signatures, exclusively on a phone or computer screen, or exclusively via clickwrap. The three formal requirements from MCL 700.2502 are: (1) the will must be in writing, (2) signed by you, and (3) signed by at least two witnesses. Michigan's MCL 700.1202 permits the witnesses to observe via two-way live audiovisual technology under specific conditions, but the physical signature step remains. Cost of doing this fully DIY: under $100. Cost of hiring an attorney for a Michigan simple will: $300 to $1,500.

Michigan Will Formalities in Plain English

Michigan's Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC) - specifically MCL 700.2502 - lays out three things a Michigan will must have to be valid:

1. In writing. Michigan does not currently accept oral wills, video wills, audio wills, or purely-digital will files. The will must exist as a physical document. (There is one narrow exception under MCL 700.2503 - the "harmless error" doctrine - discussed below.)
2. Signed by the testator. The person making the will (you) must sign the document. If you are physically unable, someone else can sign your name on your behalf in your "conscious presence" and at your direction.
3. Signed by at least two witnesses. Each witness must sign the will within a reasonable time after they witnessed either you signing the will, or you acknowledging your signature or the will itself.

Additional Michigan requirements from EPIC that matter:

• You must be at least 18 years old (MCL 700.2501)
• You must be of "sound mind" (mental capacity) at the time of signing
• The witnesses should be "disinterested" - people who do NOT stand to inherit under the will. Interested witnesses can technically still make the will valid but may lose or reduce their inheritance under MCL 700.2505. See our Michigan witness requirements guide.
• Notarization is not required for validity, but notarizing the "self-proving affidavit" under MCL 700.2504 saves your family from having to track down witnesses years later during probate

The E-Signature Trap Online Services Rely On

Michigan adopted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) many years ago. UETA generally makes e-signatures legally equivalent to handwritten signatures - EXCEPT for a specific list of excluded document types. Wills, codicils, and testamentary trusts are on that excluded list (MCL 450.831 et seq.).

This is the trap that catches Michigan residents using generic online-signature services or newer "digital will" apps that market themselves as "sign your will entirely online":

• DocuSign for a Michigan will = not valid
• Adobe Sign for a Michigan will = not valid
• Any "click to sign" workflow that produces only a digital signature file = not valid
• Video-recorded verbal declarations of a will = not valid (Michigan does not accept "nuncupative" or oral wills)

Some estate-tech companies advertise nationwide services that treat all 50 states the same. They are not wrong for many states - Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, and several others have adopted the Uniform Electronic Wills Act. Michigan has NOT. A Michigan will requires paper and pen at the signing step.

Remote Witnessing: What Michigan Actually Allows

Michigan expanded its rules during and after the COVID-19 pandemic through a permanent statute at MCL 700.1202 (added by Public Act 246 of 2020, made permanent). Under this provision, the "act of signing or witnessing" a will, funeral representative designation, patient advocate designation, durable power of attorney, or several other estate planning documents may be satisfied by two-way real-time audiovisual technology - if all of the statutory conditions are met.

The high-level conditions from MCL 700.1202 include:

• The signer and each remote witness must be able to see and hear each other in real time
• The signer must physically sign a paper document (or a "tangible" copy of the document) while being observed live
• The witness must sign a paper copy of the same document (or a paper copy transmitted to and signed by the witness) within a specified timeframe
• Identity of the signer must be reasonably verifiable
• Certain other procedural requirements apply, particularly for out-of-state or notarial ceremonies

The important nuance: remote witnessing is NOT the same as e-signature. Under MCL 700.1202, the will still exists as a physical paper document with an ink signature. Only the "observation" of the signing is remote. The witnesses still sign a paper copy. This is why some Michigan attorneys use Zoom or FaceTime for will signings when a witness cannot be physically present - the ceremony is remote, but the ink and paper are real.

For a DIY Michigan will, remote witnessing is technically legal but procedurally tricky. Most DIY signers simply invite two disinterested friends over to the kitchen table and sign in person. That is faster, cheaper, and less error-prone than a remote signing.

The Horton Case: Why Some Digital Documents Have Been Accepted

In 2018, the Michigan Court of Appeals decided In re Estate of Duane Francis Horton (No. 339737, published July 17, 2018). Duane Horton left a handwritten "farewell note" that pointed to a typewritten journal entry on his phone. The journal entry was unsigned, undated, and not witnessed - it appeared on his cell phone screen. The probate court and the Court of Appeals both accepted this as a valid will under Michigan's "harmless error" doctrine (MCL 700.2503).

What the harmless error doctrine says: even if a document does not meet the formal will requirements of MCL 700.2502, a Michigan probate court can still probate it if there is clear and convincing evidence that the deceased intended the document to be their will.

This case gets cited in headlines like "Michigan recognizes electronic wills!" - but that is misleading. The Horton case relied on very specific facts: the deceased was in the process of committing suicide, wrote a physical suicide note pointing to the digital journal entry, and the digital text clearly expressed testamentary intent. Michigan courts have applied the harmless error doctrine sparingly. Do not rely on it. Michigan probate courts want to see a will that meets the standard formalities under MCL 700.2502.

For DIY estate planning, the takeaway is: do not treat "digital notes" or "e-signed PDFs" as a substitute for a paper Michigan will. Save the harmless error doctrine for emergencies you did not plan for.

How Popular Online Will Services Handle Michigan

Some services get Michigan right; some do not. General patterns:

Services that print instructions to sign on paper (correct approach for Michigan)

• Nolo Quicken WillMaker - drafts your will, prompts you to print, and gives Michigan-specific signing instructions with two witnesses
• LegalZoom - similar approach; drafts online, delivers PDF for you to print, sign, and witness
• Rocket Lawyer - drafts and delivers PDF; signing must happen offline
• CreateMIWill Will Kit ($89) - Michigan-specific templates plus a step-by-step Michigan Will Execution Guide that walks you through the two-witness signing ceremony

Services that market "fully digital wills" - be careful in Michigan

Some newer estate-tech apps (particularly those built for e-Will-Act states) offer "sign online and you're done" flows. These are legitimate in Nevada, Arizona, and other e-Will-Act states. In Michigan, the digital-only signing step does not satisfy MCL 700.2502. If the service does not clearly instruct Michigan users to print and sign the will with two witnesses, that is a Michigan compliance gap.

Michigan Statutory Will (form MCL 700.2519)

Michigan has a state-provided free will template - the Michigan Statutory Will - defined by MCL 700.2519. You fill in blanks (name, spouse, guardian, distribution preferences), then print and sign with two witnesses. It is legally valid but has fewer customization options than most online will services and it CANNOT create a trust. Available free from the Michigan legislature website. Good option if your estate is very simple and you want zero cost for the document itself.

Red Flags to Watch For

• "Sign your will online in 15 minutes with no printing needed" - not valid in Michigan.
• "Your will is complete once you e-sign" - not valid in Michigan.
• "Notarization replaces witnesses" - false. Michigan requires witnesses; notarization is optional and different.
• "One witness is enough" - false. Michigan requires two.
• "Beneficiaries can be witnesses" - technically valid but creates a "purging" issue under MCL 700.2505 that may reduce the beneficiary's inheritance. Use disinterested witnesses.
• "You don't need to notarize the self-proving affidavit" - not required for validity but not notarizing means your witnesses may have to testify during probate. Highly recommended to notarize.
• "Your online will is stored on our servers as your original" - not sufficient. Michigan probate courts need the original paper will. Store the paper original somewhere safe (fireproof safe, safe deposit box, or file with the Michigan probate court under MCL 600.880c for $25).

The Michigan Online Will DIY Playbook

1. Pick a drafting service. Use Nolo, LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, the Michigan Statutory Will, or a Michigan-specific service like CreateMIWill. Cost: free to $150.
2. Fill in your information. Beneficiaries, personal representative (executor), guardian for minor children if applicable, specific bequests. Take your time - this is the substantive part.
3. Print the completed will on standard paper. Not photo paper, not card stock - just clean, plain, 20-lb printer paper. Every page.
4. Line up two witnesses. Disinterested (they do not inherit under the will). Both must be adults. See our Michigan witness requirements guide for who can and cannot witness.
5. Gather at a table. You in the middle, witnesses on either side. Ideally with a notary present so you can execute the self-proving affidavit at the same time.
6. Sign in ink. You sign first. State clearly "this is my last will and testament" - Michigan does not require magic words but the acknowledgment matters for the witnesses.
7. Witnesses sign in ink. Each witness signs their name, prints their name, and enters their address.
8. Notarize the self-proving affidavit. Optional but strongly recommended. Notary observes and stamps.
9. Store the original safely. Fireproof safe at home, safe deposit box (make sure your executor has access), or file with the Michigan probate court under MCL 600.880c ($25 filing fee).
10. Tell your executor where to find it. This step is skipped so often. Write a "location document" that lists where the will is stored.
11. Review every 5 years or after a major life event. Marriage, divorce, new child, house purchase, job change, family death. See our Michigan will revocation guide for how to properly replace an outdated will.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sign a will on my iPad or computer with an Apple Pencil?

Not for a Michigan will. Michigan's UETA exclusion (MCL 450.831 et seq.) means e-signatures - even handwritten ones on a tablet - do not satisfy the Michigan will execution requirements. Print the will and sign in ink.

Is a handwritten (holographic) will legal in Michigan?

Yes but with conditions. Under MCL 700.2502(2), Michigan recognizes a will as a holographic will (no witnesses required) if the signature and material portions are in the testator's own handwriting. Holographic wills are legally valid but easier to challenge in probate. Use a witnessed will if possible.

What happens if I sign my Michigan will electronically anyway?

The will may be rejected during probate. If rejected, Michigan intestate succession under MCL 700.2103 applies - and your family may not receive what you intended. See our Michigan intestate succession guide for the default distribution rules.

Can I use online notarization for the self-proving affidavit?

Michigan permits remote online notarization under Public Act 246 of 2020 and MCL 55.263. So yes, the notary step can be remote. But the will itself still needs paper signatures from you and your two witnesses. Only the notary step is remote-eligible; the witness ink signatures must still exist.

What if my witnesses cannot come to my house?

Two options. First, use MCL 700.1202 remote witnessing via two-way live video - your witnesses observe you sign, then you mail them the will to countersign in ink. Slower and easier to mess up, but legal. Second, go to a UPS Store, coffee shop, or your bank - most Michigan bank branches have staff who can witness for you if you ask.

Do I have to file my will with the court now?

No. Michigan allows you to voluntarily file the will with a probate court during your life (MCL 600.880c, $25 fee) for safekeeping, but this is entirely optional. Most Michigan residents store the original at home or in a safe deposit box.

Does an out-of-state online will service produce a valid Michigan will?

Usually yes for the drafting - if the resulting document is signed and witnessed following Michigan formalities, it is a valid Michigan will. Under MCL 700.2506, a will valid in the place it was executed is also valid in Michigan. But most online will services do not know Michigan-specific quirks (the two-witness requirement wording, the Michigan self-proving affidavit format, the "conscious presence" requirement for signing). Michigan-specific services like CreateMIWill get these details right.

Do e-signatures work for other Michigan estate documents like POA or Patient Advocate?

Some yes, some no. Durable financial power of attorney requires notarization (which can be remote) but not witnesses. Patient Advocate Designation requires two disinterested witnesses under MCL 700.5506 (like a will) - signatures should be in ink, but remote witnessing is available under MCL 700.1202. HIPAA releases have no witness requirement and can be e-signed.

Can I amend my will online?

You amend a Michigan will by executing a "codicil" - a supplemental document that must meet the same formal requirements as a will (signed on paper, witnessed by two people). See our codicil vs new will guide for the tradeoffs. Simple changes are usually cleaner as a fresh will.

Is a Google Docs draft valid as a Michigan will?

Only if you PRINT it, SIGN it in ink, and have TWO WITNESSES sign it in ink. The Google Docs draft itself is not a valid will - just a template. This applies to any word processor document, PDF, or online form.

My uncle in Nevada e-signed his will. Would that be valid in Michigan?

Under MCL 700.2506, if the will was valid in Nevada at the time and place of execution, Michigan should accept it. Nevada has adopted the Uniform Electronic Wills Act, so a Nevada e-signed will is likely valid there. If your uncle moves to Michigan and dies as a Michigan resident, the Nevada-executed e-will should be admissible in Michigan probate. But for a Michigan resident executing a Michigan will today, you must follow Michigan formalities - Michigan's rule, not Nevada's, applies to Michigan-resident testators.

Get a Michigan-Compliant Will Kit for $89

The CreateMIWill Will Kit gives you an attorney-drafted Michigan will template you fill in online, print, and sign following our Michigan Will Execution Guide. The execution guide walks through the two-witness ceremony, the disinterested-witness rule under MCL 700.2505, the self-proving affidavit under MCL 700.2504, and even a remote-witnessing checklist for MCL 700.1202 signings. Total time: an afternoon. Total cost: $89. All the Michigan formalities are covered.