Do Fonts and Formatting Really Matter in a Nebraska Will?

Yes, fonts and formatting matter, even though Nebraska’s will statutes are focused on signatures, witnesses, and legal formalities rather than typography. In real life, your will has to be read, scanned, copied, and relied on by people who weren’t in the room when you signed it. Probate clerks, family members, personal representatives, and lawyers often work from scanned PDFs and printed copies. A will can be legally valid and still create avoidable confusion if it’s hard to read, cramped, inconsistently formatted, or marked up with handwritten edits.

This is one of those estate planning truths that doesn’t sound dramatic but matters a lot: “boring” formatting is often the safest choice. Clean layout reduces the risk of misreading names, addresses, or dollar amounts, and it helps your execution and notary sections look clear and complete. Nebraska also has its own nuance that many generic blogs get wrong. Handwritten wills can be valid here if they meet specific requirements, but that doesn’t make them a smart default. They may save time or money today, but they often cost the estate more later because they can be harder to prove and easier to fight about.

In this post, I’ll explain what Nebraska law actually requires for a valid will, why readability matters in probate practice even when a statute doesn’t mention fonts, and how simple formatting choices help your will hold up in the real world. I’ll also cover one of the most common mistakes I see with DIY wills: handwritten changes on a typed document. Even if your intent is clear to you, mixing formats can create legal uncertainty and produce results you didn’t intend.

What Does Nebraska Law Require for a Valid Will?

For a typical typed will in Nebraska (under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2327), the core requirement is that the will is in writing, signed by the testator (or by someone else in the testator’s conscious presence and at their direction), and signed by at least two witnesses. In practice, those requirements matter far more than your font choice for legal validity.

Nebraska also allows a will to be made “self-proved” (under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2329), which generally means it includes a notarized acknowledgment and affidavits from the testator and witnesses in a statutory form. The benefit is practical: a self-proving will usually reduces the need to locate witnesses later and can smooth out the probate process.

Does Nebraska Require a Specific Font or Layout?

No. Nebraska law does not require Times New Roman, Calibri, or any particular typeface. But just because a statute doesn’t mention formatting doesn’t mean formatting is irrelevant. Probate is a document-driven process, and readability is a real-world risk factor.

If Font Isn’t Statutory, Why Does Readability Matter So Much?

Because people have to use your will under pressure, often from imperfect copies. Your instructions need to be understood quickly and accurately by individuals who may be grieving and overwhelmed. If your will is difficult to read or easy to misinterpret, it can create delays, increase costs, and invite conflict.

Readability also matters because wills frequently end up as scanned PDFs. That’s not hypothetical. It’s how documents move through modern court and office systems. Text that looks “fine” on your laptop can become faint, blurry, or cramped when it’s printed and scanned, especially if the formatting is tight or the font is thin.

Nebraska-Specific Nuance: Holographic Wills Are Real, But They’re Not a Great Plan

Nebraska recognizes holographic wills (under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2328) when specific requirements are met, including that the material provisions, signature, and an indication of the date are in the testator’s handwriting. This is important because many generic blogs incorrectly claim handwritten wills are automatically invalid, which is not true in Nebraska.

That said, holographic wills are usually not the “easy button” people think they are. The tradeoff is that they can be harder and more expensive for your family to prove and administer later, especially compared to a properly executed, self-proved will. The short version is this: holographic wills can save money now, but they often cost the estate far more later if anyone questions authenticity, intent, dates, or whether the writing actually covers all required “material provisions.”

Handwritten Changes to a Typed Will Are a Different Problem

Mixing formats, especially by writing on a typed will after it’s signed, is where people unintentionally create probate disputes. Crossing out “$10,000” and writing “$5,000” in pen is the fastest way to invite a fight. The court may validate the will but ignore your handwritten notes, leaving your estate plan to play out in a way you did not intend. If you need to change a will, it’s usually safer to do it with a properly executed codicil or a new will rather than handwritten edits in the margins.

Which Fonts and Layout Choices Tend to Work Best for Nebraska Wills?

In estate planning, boring is not an insult. It’s a strategy. Standard fonts that print and scan cleanly reduce the chance of confusion and minimize “what does this say?” moments in probate.

Here’s one small checklist, because this is one of those places where a quick visual standard helps people avoid common mistakes:

The “Safe Probate” Formatting Checklist:

Font: Times New Roman, Arial, Georgia, or Calibri (11–12 point).

Ink: Black text on white paper (colored ink scans poorly).

Margins: Standard 1-inch margins so text doesn’t get cut off or crowded.

Pagination: “Page 1 of 5” style numbering so missing pages are obvious.

Even if your will is legally valid, these choices reduce the odds that your signature blocks get separated, your pages get mixed up, or your key provisions become hard to read after scanning.

Why Formatting Matters Even More for Self-Proving Wills

If you are using a self-proving affidavit under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2329, formatting becomes more than aesthetics. The execution section needs to look complete and coherent.

A common problem I see is a notary block or affidavit language drifting onto a separate page, or the signature lines being cramped so it’s not immediately obvious who signed what and when. That kind of “messy optics” doesn’t automatically invalidate a will, but it creates unnecessary friction and invites questions that can be avoided with better layout.

The Most Common DIY Formatting Mistakes That Cause Trouble Later

DIY wills often fail in predictable ways. People use decorative fonts because they want the document to feel “official,” but the result is harder to read. Others shrink the font to keep the will short, which makes names and numbers more likely to be misread. Another frequent issue is mixing styles, colors, or spacing in ways that don’t survive scanning well.

The highest-risk DIY move is still handwritten notes on a printed will. It feels intuitive, but legally it is messy. If a change matters, it’s worth doing it in a way the court can recognize without guesswork.

FAQ About Fonts, Formatting, and Nebraska Wills

Does Nebraska require a specific font for a will to be valid?

No. Nebraska does not require a specific font in the will execution statute (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2327). The law focuses on writing, signatures, and witnesses, not typography.

Can a handwritten will be valid in Nebraska?

Yes, in some cases. Nebraska recognizes holographic wills under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2328 if the legal requirements are met, including that the material provisions, signature, and an indication of the date are in the testator’s handwriting.

If handwritten wills can be valid, why do lawyers still discourage them?

Because they are often harder to prove and easier to fight about. A self-proved, properly executed will usually creates less court friction and less opportunity for someone to challenge authenticity or intent.

Will a court reject my will because I used a decorative script font?

Font alone typically isn’t the deciding factor on validity. The risk is that decorative fonts can create ambiguity, misreading, and disputes, especially when the document is scanned or copied.

Is it okay to write changes in the margins of my typed will?

It’s risky. Handwritten changes on a typed will can create uncertainty about what controls and whether the change is legally effective. If you need to update your will, it’s generally safer to do it with a properly executed codicil or a new will.

What makes a will “self-proved” in Nebraska?

A self-proved will includes a notarized acknowledgment and witness affidavits in a statutory form under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2329. In many cases, this reduces the need to locate witnesses later and makes probate smoother.