Holograph

From Freepedia

A holograph is a document written entirely in the handwriting of the person whose signature it bears. The laws of various U.S. states differ as to the validity of holographic last wills.

In the 20th century, the word "holographic" took on an additional meaning because of the invention of the photographic technique called holography. However, images produced using this technique are called holograms, not holographs.

See also: autograph

Contribution: addition of text

Holographic instrument

The expansion of the concept of holographic, or handwritten documents must include a discussion of the effectiveness of a document in accomplishing its intended purpose. Print media came into being as a solution to the problem of the sluggish and ponderous task of hand-transcribing written materials. Printing enabled rapid construction, compilation and production of written material and provided a means for the revoluntary concept of facilitation of dissemination of copies of written material.

The intrinsic value of employing the handwritten word in creating a document is that the authorship of handwritten documents is able to be authenticated by handwriting comparison with samples of the author's other writings or by recognition by witnesses familiar with the handwriting style and characteristics of the author. This valuable quality of being able to be proven to come from its author, maintains to this day the primacy of the hand-written document where it was required, by law or by necessity, to have such authenticity and verifiable provenance or origin of the document.

The Last Will. Of particular importance to law and society was to have the ultimate document requiring authenticity--a last will and testament--retain its authenticity and thereby accomplish it's author's intended purpose--that of making a valid, indisputable disposition of the author's real property, personal assets and wishes or declarations--at the time of his or her death.

The rule for creating a minimally acceptable holographic will has been agreed upon: to be indisputably without edit or revision by an outsider (other than the author), absolutely no mechanically printed material must be contained in the document. It must not be typeset, typewritten, mechanically printed or scribed by any means other than by the hand of the original author.

The will must be dated at the time of it's writing, so that it will be able to be compared (visually, forensically) with documents originating from the same author at other times, such as an earlier will (which might be intended by it's author to be withdrawn or revoked by a later written will).

To be effective as a testamentary document, a holographic will must be signed by it's author. Unlike a typewritten or word-processed "formal" will, where usually 2 disinterested witnesses are required to attest to the author's signing or "execution" of the document, a holographic will does not require any witnessing or notarization (an accepted form of witnessed certification of authenticity) in order to be a proper and valid testamentary instrument (document) having full legal force and effect. --contributor: Alexander W. Wallace, attorney at law alexwwallace@hotmail.com