A will must be in writing. It must be signed by the testator in the presence of two witnesses who are at least 14 years of age. It is not absolutely necessary for the will to be notarized. However, it is always a good idea to have a “self proving affidavit” notarized by a notary public to be attached to the will. A self proving affidavit attests to the fact that the witnesses indeed saw the testator sign the will in their presence. Without a self proving affidavit, the two witnesses may have to testify in court when the will later goes to probate. You can imagine how hard it is to track down the two witnesses when the testator dies 20 or 30 years later. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that self proving affidavit be executed together with all written wills.