Q: Can my mother write her own will and not use a lawyer? If so, it only needs to be notarized - Correct?
Does it have to be filed in NYC where she resides?
A: Why not, if she confidently knows how to do it 100% correctly and legally.
A: It is legal to write your own will, just like it is legal for me to repair my own car transmission. But I go to a mechanic because I have no idea how a transmission works. Your question shows you have no idea how a will is done, and doing it wrong can cause problems. As the person is dead when errors are determined, there is no way to correct it. Short answer, notarization is not enough.
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