Is a handwritten will legal?

The state in which the will maker resides determines the legality of a handwritten will. Some states consider handwritten wills to be legal if written by a soldier at war or a sailor at sea until he is either discharged or returns to land.

It's best that an individual create a formal will signed in front of a witness so the witness can testify to the validity of the will if it's ever questioned in probate court. A witness can say he or she heard the will maker explicitly state it was a will being signed and that the will maker was of sound mind during the signing.

One may check Nolo.com to see which states allow handwritten wills.