General will information, not signing instructions or legal advice. Check the current rules in the relevant state.
Capacity is decision- and time-specific; the relevant question is the legal standard for the act being taken at that time.
What the will can control
- A diagnosis or advanced age alone does not answer whether a person can sign a particular will, trust, power, or contract.
- A will generally directs probate property at death, nominates an executor, and can nominate guardians for minor children.
- A will does not normally control property that passes by survivorship, beneficiary designation, trust ownership, or another contract-based transfer.
Execution and evidence file
- dated medical and functional information relevant to the decision
- drafting notes, witness observations, and prior consistent instructions
- the signed original will and every codicil
- a list of assets showing title and beneficiary designations
Coordination and backup choices
- Which legal capacity standard applies to this document?
- What accommodations would support the person's own decision-making?
- Which assets would actually be controlled by the will?
- What execution rules apply in the signing state?
Risks to pause on
- Family members should not substitute their preferences for the person's own choices merely because help is needed.
- Treating a draft, photocopy, or unsigned file as the operative original can create avoidable probate disputes.