A witness is just that: a witness.

Sometimes witnesses are individuals who have known for years the person for whom they are witnessing a document. Sometimes witnesses are relatives of the person for whom they are witnessing the document.

And sometimes they are warm bodies of legal age who know the identity of the person, that the person appears to be of legal age themselves, and that the person appears to be of sound mind. That’s the essential legal requirement. 

Don’t assume witnesses are relatives. They could be. But they don’t have to be. Research them to find out who they are, but don’t force a deeper connection where none may exist.

 

Categories:

Tags:

No responses yet

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get the Genealogy Tip of the Day Book
Archives