Indiana Courts, Jeff Goldblum Fanfic Wills: Legal Playbook

Ever wondered what happens when a Jeff Goldblum fanfiction forum becomes the source of an estate plan? In Indiana, a handful of cases have pushed courts to grapple with wills drafted in the most unlikely of places: online fan forums. This post is your technical testing specification for navigating that quirky intersection of fandom, digital documentation, and probate law.

1. Context & Scope

The scenario: a person (the will-maker) signs an irrevocable will on a public fanfic thread, clicks “I agree,” and posts it under their username. Later, the will becomes the basis for a probate proceeding in Indiana. The question: is the will valid? If not, what procedural steps can a court take to salvage or reject it?

1.1 Testing Objectives

• Verify that the will meets Indiana’s formal requirements.
• Determine if online signatures carry the same weight as handwritten ones.
• Assess whether fan forum content can be considered a public record.
• Identify procedural safeguards for protecting parties from fraud.

2. Indiana Formal Requirements for Wills

Indiana Code § 35-1-6 establishes the baseline. A will must be:

1. Written (not oral).
2. Signed by the testator or by someone in their presence.
3. Witnessed by two persons, also present at signing.
4. Signed in the presence of witnesses, who must also sign.
5. Signed on a paper document or a recognized electronic format.

When we talk about online signatures, the law is less clear. The key test is whether the will can be verifiably authenticated and whether the witnesses actually witnessed the act.

2.1 Test Cases

3. Technical Validation Steps

When a will surfaces from a fan forum, the court (or attorney) should perform the following validation checklist. Think of it as a unit test suite for wills.

1. Document Retrieval: Confirm the will is a .pdf or an HTML page with a clear signature block.
2. Signature Verification: Use openssl verify on any digital signature or check the IP log for the posting time.
3. Witness Confirmation: Contact the named witnesses; verify they were present at the time of posting.
4. Authenticity Audit: Cross-reference forum timestamps with the testator’s calendar.
5. Legal Form Compliance: Ensure all Indiana statutory elements are present; if not, flag for remediation.

If any step fails, the will is provisionally invalidated, and the court must direct the testator to re-create a compliant document.

3.1 Example Validation Script

# Pseudocode for validating an online will
def validate_will(file_path, witnesses):
  if not is_written(file_path):
    return False
  if not has_signature(file_path):
    return False
  if not verify_witnesses(witnesses, file_path):
    return False
  if not meets_formal_requirements(file_path):
    return False
  return True

4. Procedural Safeguards

The court can impose several procedural rules to protect all parties:

• In-Person Confirmation: Require a signed affidavit that the will was read and agreed to in person.
• Notarization: Allow or require a notary public to confirm the identity of the testator and witnesses.
• Digital Signatures: Accept qualified electronic signatures under the Indiana Electronic Signature Act.
• Witness Video Call: If in-person is impossible, accept a live video call with recording.
• Public Record Filing: Mandate filing the will with the county recorder to establish a public record.

4.1 Scenario: The Goldblum Fanfic Will

In this specific case, the will was posted on a public forum without any proof that witnesses were present. The court issued an order for the testator to re-sign a paper will in front of two independent witnesses, with a notarized affidavit. The final document was accepted and the estate distributed per the will’s provisions.

5. Practical Tips for Fandom Writers

If you’re a fanfiction author who wants to experiment with legal documents, here are some quick hacks:

1. Use a template that includes all Indiana statutory clauses.
2. Attach a PDF signature pad to your forum post.
3. Ask two readers to live-stream the signing session.
4. Keep a log file of IP addresses and timestamps.
5. Consult an attorney before publishing the will publicly.

6. Conclusion

The intersection of fan fiction and probate law may seem like a niche corner of the internet, but it illustrates how legal systems adapt to new digital realities. By treating online wills like any other document—subject to the same formalities, verification steps, and procedural safeguards—courts can ensure that estates are settled fairly, even when the original will was drafted in a forum thread about Jeff Goldblum’s adventures.

So next time you’re debating whether to sign your will in a fan forum, remember: the law is watching. And if you do decide to go digital, make sure your witnesses are actually present—whether that means in the same room or on a live video call. Happy drafting!