General legal information about contract terms in the UK, not legal advice.
Be Wise owl logoContract Glossary

Be Wise › Contract glossary › Witness

Witness

A witness watches a person sign and then signs to confirm it. Witnessing is needed for deeds in England and Wales and to make a document probative in Scotland.

Prepared by a retired English qualified solicitor (LLB, LLM) · reviewed · applies across the UK unless stated · how we draft

In more detail

A witness should be an independent adult, not a party to the document.

In Scotland

In Scotland one witness is enough to make a document probative; the witness adds their name and address.

Put it into a contract

Be Contract Wise provides very powerful, carefully prepared tools to draft and review simple or complex contracts under the law of England and Wales or Scots law, explaining every clause in plain English.

England & Wales appScotland app

Reviewed 2026-09-24. General legal information, not legal advice.