Do the Witnesses need to sign the Will together with the Testator? Can they do it at a separate time?
Yes, the Witnesses have to sign the Will TOGETHER with the Testator. (NOT the Testator signing alone at place A, then the Will is passed to person B to be signed somewhere else and/or at some other time etc.)
You can also find a summary of the signing instructions on Page 2 of our Wills.
It is not mandatory for the Will to be signed in the presence of the Certified Estate Planner (CEP), so long it is in the presence of 2 witnesses. The client can find his own 2 witness and have the Will signed at a separate setting from the drafting session with the CEP.
If the signing is done in the presence of the CEP, while not mandatory, you might want to ask the CEP to register it in the Witness Program as well. The main purpose is to create an additional record that a Will is signed in the presence of witnesses.
