A will that is entirely handwritten and signed by the testator, without witnesses. Many jurisdictions accept holographic wills as valid even without the formal requirements of witnessed wills.
From Greek 'holographos' meaning 'written entirely by one person' (holos = whole, graphein = to write). The legal concept emerged as courts recognized that handwritten documents could prove authenticity through handwriting analysis.
Holographic wills are like the emergency backup plan of estate law! Someone dying unexpectedly can scribble their final wishes on a napkin, and it might actually hold up in court - but only if it's 100% in their own handwriting.
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