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.sidebar-above{font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .law-sidebar .sidebar-below{padding:0.4em;border-top:1px #aaa solid;font-weight:normal;font-size:smaller}</style><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks hlist law-sidebar"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-title"><a href="/wiki/Will_and_testament" title="Will and testament">Wills</a>, <a href="/wiki/Trust_(law)" title="Trust (law)">trusts</a><br />and <a href="/wiki/Administration_(probate_law)" title="Administration (probate law)">estates</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Shakespeare-Testament.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Shakespeare-Testament.jpg/180px-Shakespeare-Testament.jpg" decoding="async" width="180" height="235" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Shakespeare-Testament.jpg/270px-Shakespeare-Testament.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Shakespeare-Testament.jpg/360px-Shakespeare-Testament.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3677" data-file-height="4800" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-above"> Part of the <a href="/wiki/Common_law" title="Common law">common law</a> series</td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Will_and_testament" title="Will and testament">Wills</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Legal_history_of_wills" title="Legal history of wills">Legal history of wills</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Joint_wills_and_mutual_wills" title="Joint wills and mutual wills">Joint wills and mutual wills</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Will_contract" title="Will contract">Will contract</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Codicil_(will)" title="Codicil (will)">Codicil</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Holographic_will" title="Holographic will">Holographic will</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Oral will</a></li></ul> <hr /> <p><i>Sections</i> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Attestation_clause" title="Attestation clause">Attestation clause</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Residuary_estate" title="Residuary estate">Residuary clause</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Incorporation_by_reference" title="Incorporation by reference">Incorporation by reference</a></li></ul> <hr /> <p><i><a href="/wiki/Will_contest" title="Will contest">Contest</a></i> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Testamentary_capacity" title="Testamentary capacity">Testamentary capacity</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Undue_influence" title="Undue influence">Undue influence</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Insane_delusion" title="Insane delusion">Insane delusion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fraud" title="Fraud">Fraud</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/No-contest_clause" title="No-contest clause">No-contest clause</a></li></ul> <hr /> <p><i>Property disposition</i> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Lapse_and_anti-lapse" title="Lapse and anti-lapse">Lapse and anti-lapse</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ademption" title="Ademption">Ademption</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Abatement_of_debts_and_legacies" title="Abatement of debts and legacies">Abatement</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ademption_by_satisfaction" title="Ademption by satisfaction">Satisfaction of legacies</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Acts_of_independent_significance" title="Acts of independent significance">Acts of independent significance</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Elective_share" title="Elective share">Elective share</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pretermitted_heir" title="Pretermitted heir">Pretermitted heir</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Trust_(law)" title="Trust (law)">Trusts</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Express_trust" title="Express trust">Express</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Resulting_trust" title="Resulting trust">Resulting</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Constructive_trust" title="Constructive trust">Constructive</a></li></ul> <hr /> <p><i>Common types</i> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bare_trust" title="Bare trust">Bare</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Discretionary_trust" title="Discretionary trust">Discretionary</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Accumulation_and_maintenance_trust" title="Accumulation and maintenance trust">Accumulation and maintenance</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Interest_in_possession_trust" title="Interest in possession trust">Interest in possession</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Charitable_trust" title="Charitable trust">Charitable</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Purpose_trust" title="Purpose trust">Purpose</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Incentive_trust" title="Incentive trust">Incentive</a></li></ul> <hr /> <p><i>Other types</i> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Protective_trust" title="Protective trust">Protective</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spendthrift_trust" title="Spendthrift trust">Spendthrift</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Life_insurance_trust" title="Life insurance trust">Life insurance</a></li> <li>Remainder</li></ul> <ul><li>Life interest</li></ul> <ul><li>Reversionary interest</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Testamentary_trust" title="Testamentary trust">Testamentary</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Honorary_trust" title="Honorary trust">Honorary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Asset-protection_trust" title="Asset-protection trust">Asset-protection</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Special_needs_trust" title="Special needs trust">Special needs</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Supplemental_needs_trust" title="Supplemental needs trust">Supplemental needs</a></li></ul></li></ul> <hr /> <p><i>Governing doctrines</i> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pour-over_will" title="Pour-over will">Pour-over will</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Cy-pr%C3%A8s_doctrine" title="Cy-près doctrine">Cy-près doctrine</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hague_Trust_Convention" title="Hague Trust Convention">Hague Convention (conflict law)</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Trust_law_in_civil_law_jurisdictions" title="Trust law in civil law jurisdictions">Application in civil law</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Dishonest_assistance" title="Dishonest assistance">Dishonest assistance</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Administration_(probate_law)" title="Administration (probate law)">Estate administration</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Intestacy" title="Intestacy">Intestacy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Testator" title="Testator">Testator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Probate" title="Probate">Probate</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Power_of_appointment" title="Power of appointment">Power of appointment</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Simultaneous_death" title="Simultaneous death">Simultaneous death</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Slayer_rule" title="Slayer rule">Slayer rule</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Laughing_heir" title="Laughing heir">Laughing heir</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Advancement_(inheritance)" title="Advancement (inheritance)">Advancement</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Disclaimer_of_interest" title="Disclaimer of interest">Disclaimer of interest</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Inheritance_tax" title="Inheritance tax">Inheritance tax</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Related topics</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Advance_healthcare_directive" title="Advance healthcare directive">Advance directive (Living will)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Blind_trust" title="Blind trust">Blind trust</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Forced_heirship" title="Forced heirship">Forced heirship</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Totten_trust" title="Totten trust">Totten trust</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Other <a href="/wiki/Common_law" title="Common law">common law</a> areas</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Contract" title="Contract">Contract</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tort" title="Tort">Tort</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Property_law" title="Property law">Property</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Criminal_law" title="Criminal law">Criminal law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Evidence_(law)" title="Evidence (law)">Evidence</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ 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0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-Globalize plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-globalize" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="Globe icon." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Ambox_globe_content.svg/48px-Ambox_globe_content.svg.png" decoding="async" width="48" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Ambox_globe_content.svg/73px-Ambox_globe_content.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Ambox_globe_content.svg/97px-Ambox_globe_content.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="350" data-file-height="290" /></span></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">The examples and perspective in this article <b>may not represent a <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Countering_systemic_bias" title="Wikipedia:WikiProject Countering systemic bias">worldwide view</a> of the subject</b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> You may <a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oral_will&action=edit">improve this article</a>, discuss the issue on the <a href="/wiki/Talk:Oral_will" title="Talk:Oral will">talk page</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Article_wizard" title="Wikipedia:Article wizard">create a new article</a>, as appropriate.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">December 2010</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>An <b>oral will</b> (or <b>nuncupative will</b>) is a <a href="/wiki/Will_(law)" class="mw-redirect" title="Will (law)">will</a> that has been delivered orally (that is, in <a href="/wiki/Speech" title="Speech">speech</a>) to <a href="/wiki/Witness" title="Witness">witnesses</a>, as opposed to the usual form of wills, which is written and according to a proper format. </p><p>A minority of <a href="/wiki/U.S._state" title="U.S. state">U.S. states</a> (approximately 20 as of 2009), permit nuncupative wills under certain circumstances. Under most <a href="/wiki/Statute" title="Statute">statutes</a>, such wills can only be made during a person's "last sickness," must be witnessed by at least three persons, and reduced to writing by the witnesses within a specified amount of time after the testator's death. Some states also place limits on the types and value of property that can be bequeathed in this manner. A few U.S. states permit nuncupative wills made by military personnel on <a href="/wiki/Active_duty" title="Active duty">active duty</a>. Under the law in England and Wales oral wills are permitted to military personnel and merchant seamen on duty (see law report below) and it is common practice in <a href="/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations" title="Commonwealth of Nations">Commonwealth</a> countries. </p><p>An analogy can be drawn to the concept of last donations (<i><a href="/wiki/Donatio_mortis_causa" class="mw-redirect" title="Donatio mortis causa">donatio mortis causa</a></i>) established by <a href="/wiki/Roman_law" title="Roman law">Roman law</a> and still in effect in <a href="/wiki/England_and_Wales" title="England and Wales">England and Wales</a>. </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Dying_declaration" title="Dying declaration">Dying declaration</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oral_will&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Jesse_Dukeminier" title="Jesse Dukeminier">Dukeminier, Jesse</a>, Johansen, Stanley M., <a href="/wiki/James_Lindgren" title="James Lindgren">Lindgren, James</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Robert_Sitkoff" title="Robert Sitkoff">Sitkoff, Robert</a>. <i>Wills, Trusts, and Estates, 8th Edition</i>, p. 226. Aspen Publishers, 2009. <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7355-7996-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7355-7996-5">978-0-7355-7996-5</a> </p><p><br /> </p><p><br /> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1012311289">.mw-parser-output .asbox{position:relative;overflow:hidden}.mw-parser-output .asbox table{background:transparent}.mw-parser-output .asbox p{margin:0}.mw-parser-output .asbox p+p{margin-top:0.25em}.mw-parser-output .asbox-body{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output .asbox-note{font-size:smaller}.mw-parser-output .asbox .navbar{position:absolute;top:-0.75em;right:1em;display:none}</style><div role="note" class="metadata plainlinks asbox stub"><table role="presentation"><tbody><tr class="noresize"><td><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Scale_of_justice_2.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Stub icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Scale_of_justice_2.svg/22px-Scale_of_justice_2.svg.png" decoding="async" width="22" height="22" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Scale_of_justice_2.svg/33px-Scale_of_justice_2.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Scale_of_justice_2.svg/44px-Scale_of_justice_2.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="204" data-file-height="208" /></a></span></td><td><p class="asbox-body">This <a href="/wiki/Law" title="Law">law</a>-related article is a <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Stub" title="Wikipedia:Stub">stub</a>. 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