Free Connecticut Last Will and Testament
Build a complete Connecticut will in minutes — free, no account. Fill in your details and download a ready-to-sign PDF with the protective clauses built in and Connecticut's correct signing requirements.
A free, ready-to-sign will — but not legal advice.
This builds a complete Connecticut will with the protective clauses most templates skip (survivorship period, residuary, minor's trust, executor powers). It becomes legally valid only when you sign it correctly (see the signing steps below). For a large or blended estate, have an attorney review it. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
About you
Children
Name all your children, even any you are not leaving anything to — naming them prevents an 'omitted child' claim.
Who inherits everything else (your residuary estate)
The catch-all gift of everything not specifically given. Shares should total 100%.
Specific gifts (optional)
Particular items or sums to particular people.
Executor (the person who carries out your will)
Options
Naming them states the omission is intentional. Note: you generally cannot fully disinherit a spouse (see the warnings).
Before you sign — Connecticut notes
Choose 2 witnesses who are adults and who do NOT inherit under this Will. A beneficiary (or a beneficiary's spouse) should never witness your Will.
Add at least one residuary beneficiary with a share above 0%. Without a residuary gift, everything not specifically given would pass by intestacy (state default rules), defeating the point of the Will.
To make this Will valid in Connecticut: Put the will in writing and sign it (or have another sign in your presence at your direction). Two witnesses must then attest and subscribe (sign) the will IN YOUR PRESENCE. To make probate easier, any or all attesting witnesses may sign a § 45a-285 affidavit before a notary stating the facts they would testify to; the affidavit is written on the will or attached to it and proves the will out of court. Notarization of the will itself is not required. Connecticut does NOT recognize holographic wills.
This is a do-it-yourself Will for a straightforward estate. If you have a large or blended estate, business interests, tax concerns, a special-needs beneficiary, or want to disinherit close family, have an attorney review it. This is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
Or email yourself a copy (PDF)
Last Will and Testament of [YOUR FULL NAME]
ARTICLE I — DECLARATION
I, [YOUR FULL NAME], a resident of [CITY], [COUNTY] County, Connecticut, being of full legal age to make a will and of sound mind and memory, declare this to be my Last Will and Testament, and I revoke all wills and codicils I have previously made.
ARTICLE II — FAMILY
I am not married.
If I have not named or provided for a child or other descendant in this Will, that omission is intentional and not the result of accident or mistake.
ARTICLE III — PAYMENT OF DEBTS, EXPENSES, AND TAXES
I direct my Executor to pay my legally enforceable debts, the expenses of my last illness and funeral, the costs of administering my estate, and any estate or inheritance taxes payable by reason of my death, out of the residue of my estate, without apportionment.
ARTICLE IV — TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY
I give my tangible personal property (household goods, furniture, vehicles, jewelry, collections, and personal effects not otherwise specifically given) to my residuary beneficiaries as they agree, or as my Executor determines if they cannot agree.
Connecticut does not give legal effect to a separate personal-property memorandum, so any specific items must be listed in this Will itself to be binding.
ARTICLE V — RESIDUARY ESTATE
I give all the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate to [RESIDUARY BENEFICIARY].
If no beneficiary named in this article survives me, my residuary estate shall pass to my heirs at law under the intestacy laws of my state.
ARTICLE VI — SURVIVORSHIP
Except as otherwise provided, a beneficiary must survive me by 30 days to receive any gift under this Will. A beneficiary who does not survive me by 30 days shall be treated as having predeceased me. This protects my estate from passing through the estate of a beneficiary who dies shortly after me.
ARTICLE VII — APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTOR
I nominate [EXECUTOR NAME] as Executor of this Will.
I direct that my Executor serve without bond and, to the fullest extent allowed by law, without court supervision (independent administration). My Executor shall have all powers granted to executors and personal representatives under the law of my state, including the power to sell, lease, invest, and distribute estate property, to pay debts and taxes, and to settle claims, all without prior court approval, as my Executor deems to be in the best interest of my estate.
ARTICLE VIII — DIGITAL ASSETS
I authorize my Executor to access, manage, distribute, and dispose of my digital assets and electronic communications, and to act as my fiduciary under the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (or its equivalent in my state), with full authority to consent to a custodian's disclosure of the content and records of my electronic communications and accounts.
ARTICLE IX — SIMULTANEOUS DEATH
If any beneficiary and I die under circumstances in which the order of our deaths cannot be established, that beneficiary shall be deemed to have predeceased me. If my spouse and I die under such circumstances, my spouse shall be deemed to have predeceased me.
ARTICLE X — GENERAL PROVISIONS
This Will shall be governed by the laws of the State of Connecticut.
If any provision of this Will is held invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full effect. Words of one gender include the other, and the singular includes the plural, as the context requires. The headings are for convenience only and do not affect the meaning of this Will.
EXECUTION
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I sign this Will, consisting of the foregoing pages, on this _____ day of ____________, 20____, at [CITY], Connecticut.
____________________________________
[YOUR FULL NAME], Testator
ATTESTATION — The foregoing instrument was signed by the Testator and declared to be the Testator's Will in our presence, and we, at the Testator's request and in the Testator's presence and in the presence of each other, sign below as witnesses, believing the Testator to be of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.
Witness 1: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________
Witness 2: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________
SELF-PROVING AFFIDAVIT (C.G.S. § 45a-285) — sign this part before a notary to make probate easier:
STATE OF CONNECTICUT, COUNTY OF [COUNTY], ss.: [TOWN], [DATE]. Personally appeared [WITNESS NAME], one of the attesting witnesses to the foregoing will of [TESTATOR NAME], who, being duly sworn, deposes and says: that the testator, in the presence of the deponent and the other subscribing witness, subscribed the instrument as the testator's last will and declared it to be the testator's last will; that the testator at the time of execution was over the age of eighteen years and of sound mind; and that the deponent and the other subscribing witness, at the testator's request and in the testator's presence and in the presence of each other, subscribed their names to the will as attesting witnesses. [WITNESS SIGNATURE]. Subscribed and sworn to before me this [DAY] day of [MONTH], [YEAR]. [SIGNATURE OF NOTARY / OFFICER AUTHORIZED TO ADMINISTER OATHS], (Seal). (Title.)
How to Sign Your Will in Connecticut
Put the will in writing and sign it (or have another sign in your presence at your direction). Two witnesses must then attest and subscribe (sign) the will IN YOUR PRESENCE. To make probate easier, any or all attesting witnesses may sign a § 45a-285 affidavit before a notary stating the facts they would testify to; the affidavit is written on the will or attached to it and proves the will out of court. Notarization of the will itself is not required. Connecticut does NOT recognize holographic wills.
Connecticut requires 2 witnesses: The will must be in writing, subscribed (signed) by the testator, and attested by two witnesses, each of them subscribing IN THE TESTATOR'S PRESENCE (C.G.S. § 45a-251). Witnesses signing in the testator's presence is mandatory. Connecticut does NOT void a gift to an interested witness (no purging statute), but using two disinterested witnesses is strongly recommended.. Your will does not need to be notarized to be valid.
Choose witnesses who are adults and who do not inherit under your will. A beneficiary should never witness your will. Then sign the self-proving affidavit (C.G.S. § 45a-285) in front of a notary. That sworn statement lets the court accept your will without tracking down your witnesses later, which speeds up probate.
Can You Use a Handwritten (Holographic) Will in Connecticut?
No. Connecticut does not recognize holographic (handwritten, unwitnessed) wills — a handwritten note will not work. Your will must be typed and signed in front of 2 witnesses, which is exactly what this generator produces.
Spousal and Family Protections in Connecticut
Can you disinherit your spouse? Cannot fully disinherit a spouse. The surviving spouse may elect a 'statutory share' = a LIFE ESTATE in one-third (1/3) in value of all the property passing under the will (real and personal), after debts and charges. NOTE: it is a one-third LIFE ESTATE, not a one-third outright share — distinctive to Connecticut. Election must be filed within 150 days of the decree admitting the will to probate.
Children born after your will: Omitted AFTER-BORN or after-adopted child (including a child of assisted reproduction) who is not provided for and not intentionally omitted takes a share of the estate. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-257b. (Children alive at execution who are simply omitted are generally NOT protected — only after-born/after-adopted.) This is why the generator has you name your children and states that any omission is intentional.
If a beneficiary dies before you: Protected class is a beneficiary who is a CHILD, STEPCHILD, GRANDCHILD, BROTHER, or SISTER of the testator who predeceases. The issue of that beneficiary take the beneficiary's share, unless the will provides for the contingency. (Broader on collaterals than UPC but does not use the grandparent's-descendants formulation.) The generator's "per stirpes" option and survivorship clause work alongside this rule.
Survivorship, No-Contest, and Digital Assets
Survivorship: Connecticut has NOT adopted the UPC 120-hour rule as a will default. Its simultaneous-death provisions (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-440 et seq.) require survival but do not impose a 120-hour minimum for devisees. The generator should BUILD IN an express survivorship clause (e.g., 30-day) since the state default does not supply 120 hours. The generator builds in a 30-to-60-day survivorship period regardless.
No-contest clauses: No-contest (in terrorem) clauses are valid in Connecticut but NOT enforced where the contest was brought in good faith, upon probable cause, and with reasonable justification; nor where enforcement would violate public policy (Salce v. Cardello). Treated as enforced-unless-probable-cause.
Digital assets: Connecticut has adopted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, so your executor can manage your online accounts and digital property — the generator includes a clause granting that authority.
Personal-property list: Connecticut does not give legal effect to a separate personal-property memorandum, so list any specific items in the will itself.
What Happens If You Die Without a Will in Connecticut?
Connecticut gives a surviving spouse the first $100,000 plus a fraction of the rest, but never automatically everything when there are children. With joint children the spouse gets $100,000 plus half; with a stepchild in the mix the spouse drops to a flat one-half and the decedent's children take the rest. With parents but no children, the spouse gets $100,000 plus three-quarters.
- Spouse, no children: Entire intestate estate (no surviving issue or parent).
- Spouse and shared children: All surviving issue of the decedent are also issue of the surviving spouse: spouse takes the first $100,000 plus one-half of the balance; the children share the rest.
- Spouse and a child from another relationship: One or more of the decedent's surviving issue are NOT issue of the surviving spouse: spouse takes one-half of the estate (no $100,000 preference); the decedent's issue share the other half. This is the gotcha.
- Children, no spouse: No spouse: the residue is distributed equally among the decedent's children and the representatives of any deceased child (per stirpes), under Conn. Gen. Stat. 45a-438.
- No spouse or children: No spouse or issue: to surviving parent(s) equally; then to siblings and their representatives (per stirpes); then to next of kin in equal degree; if none, escheat to the state.
Unmarried partners, friends, and stepchildren you have not adopted generally receive nothing under intestacy. A will is how you override these defaults. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 45a-437, 45a-438, 45a-439.
Updating, Revoking, and Storing Your Will
Review your will after any big life change — marriage, divorce, a birth, a death, or a move to a new state. To change it, either sign a new will that revokes the old one (the cleanest option, and what this generator produces) or add a witnessed "codicil." Do not cross things out on a signed will — handwritten edits can invalidate it. Store the signed original somewhere safe and tell your executor where it is; a will that cannot be found is presumed revoked.
Common mistakes to avoid: using a beneficiary as a witness; forgetting a residuary clause (so part of the estate passes by intestacy); leaving a young child a lump sum outright at 18 instead of in trust; not naming a backup executor or guardian; and never actually signing the document. The generator above is built to avoid each of these.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a will made online valid in Connecticut?
Yes, if you sign it correctly. Connecticut requires 2 witnesses. The document this tool creates is a standard typed will; it becomes legally valid when you sign it following the steps above.
Does my Connecticut will need to be notarized?
No. Connecticut does not require your will to be notarized to be valid. Notarizing the separate self-proving affidavit is optional but makes probate easier.
How many witnesses does a Connecticut will need?
2 witnesses. The will must be in writing, subscribed (signed) by the testator, and attested by two witnesses, each of them subscribing IN THE TESTATOR'S PRESENCE (C.G.S. § 45a-251). Witnesses signing in the testator's presence is mandatory. Connecticut does NOT void a gift to an interested witness (no purging statute), but using two disinterested witnesses is strongly recommended. They should be adults who do not inherit under the will.
Can I leave my spouse out of my Connecticut will?
Cannot fully disinherit a spouse. The surviving spouse may elect a 'statutory share' = a LIFE ESTATE in one-third (1/3) in value of all the property passing under the will (real and personal), after debts and charges. NOTE: it is a one-third LIFE ESTATE, not a one-third outright share — distinctive to Connecticut. Election must be filed within 150 days of the decree admitting the will to probate.
What happens if I die without a will in Connecticut?
Connecticut gives a surviving spouse the first $100,000 plus a fraction of the rest, but never automatically everything when there are children. With joint children the spouse gets $100,000 plus half; with a stepchild in the mix the spouse drops to a flat one-half and the decedent's children take the rest. With parents but no children, the spouse gets $100,000 plus three-quarters.
Does a Connecticut will avoid probate?
No. A will still goes through probate — it directs how your estate is distributed and names your executor, but the court still supervises (often a simplified, independent administration). To avoid probate entirely, people use living trusts and beneficiary designations in addition to a will.
How old do I have to be to make a will in Connecticut?
Generally 18. Any person 18 years of age or older and of sound mind may make a will (C.G.S. § 45a-250). No marriage/military exception. You must also be of sound mind.
Can I write my will by hand in Connecticut?
No. Connecticut does not recognize handwritten, unwitnessed wills. Your will must be typed and properly witnessed.
Do I need a lawyer to make a will in Connecticut?
Not for a straightforward estate — a properly signed will is valid whether or not a lawyer drafts it. See an attorney if you have a large or blended estate, business interests, tax concerns, a special-needs beneficiary, or want to disinherit close family.
Is this really free?
Yes. The generator is free, requires no account, and runs entirely in your browser — your answers are not sent to a server. It is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
Disclaimer
This generator produces a general-purpose will for a straightforward estate and is not legal advice or a substitute for an attorney. Will and probate law changes; the Connecticut requirements here are current as of 2026-06-03. A will is only valid if signed and witnessed correctly. For a large, blended, or complex estate, tax planning, a special-needs beneficiary, or to disinherit close family, consult a Connecticut estate-planning attorney. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
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