How do I sign my will in lockdown?

For people drafting a will under UK law, wherever they may be located, there is some good news from the UK government.

Acknowledging these turbulent times, that are a prompt for many of us to review our life planning and make a will, there are some adaptations to the will signing process.

To be legally binding and valid, a will must be signed by the testator in the presence of 2 witnesses, who must also sign the document.  The witnesses are not concerned with the content of the will, but the action of the testator’s signature.  The witnesses must provide sufficient personal information with their signature to ensure they can be located if there is ever a dispute regarding the will.

Under some countries current Covid-19 rules, the presence of 3 people would be a breach of safety guidelines.

Existing law is to be re-interpreted in these difficult times.

“In the presence of” will now be extended to allow witnesses to use video call services, such as Zoom or Facetime to be present for a signature.  Quality must be sufficient for the activity to be clearly seen and heard.

The law will come into effect this month, September 2020, and be backdated to 31 January, the date of the first confirmed coronavirus case in the UK, and will remain in place until at least 31 January 2022.

Full guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-on-making-wills-using-video-conferencing

For further information on drafting and signing a will, contact us today.