GPT-5.6 Sol vs Kimi K3 for everyday legal questions

In England and Wales, a handwritten will is not automatically valid merely because it is in the deceased’s handwriting and signed. There is no general “holographic will” exception.

## Formal requirements

Under section 9 of the Wills Act 1837, a will normally must:

1. **Be in writing.**
2. **Be signed** by the testator, or by someone else in the testator’s presence and at their direction.
3. Be signed with the **intention of giving effect to the document as a will**.
4. Have the testator’s signature made or acknowledged **in the presence of a…

## What makes a will formally valid in England and Wales

The governing rules are in **section 9 of the Wills Act 1837**. A will must:

- be **in writing** (handwriting is perfectly fine — there's no requirement for a solicitor, a form, or "legal" wording);
- be **signed by the testator** (or by someone else in their presence and at their direction), intending the signature to give effect to the will; and
- crucially: the signature must be **made or acknowledged in the presence of two or more witnesses, both present at the same time**, and each…