The way we do business and the way we communicate with our loved ones has changed greatly since last year, and the legal world has had to adapt accordingly to ensure that people in need are still able to access services they require; especially when it comes to drawing up their Will. Since 28th September 2020, the Wills Act 1837 (Electronic Communications) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Order 2020 SI 2020/952 came into force to enable Wills to be witnessed via video call, but only in a limited number of circumstances, and for a limited period of time.
As a professional company, we must balance the risk of video witnessing with the client need, and we must insist on a Will only being witnessed via video link in a limited number of circumstances. They include:
· A client who is at end of life, who cannot be in close contact with anyone else other than family named in their Will
· A client who is at end of life in hospital or care, where the staff will not act as a witness to a Will
· A client who must shield and cannot be in contact with anyone else, where to do so would risk their life
The urgency of the situation must also be assessed, as there needs to be sufficient time for a video conference call to take place twice, and potentially even thrice, if it is not possible for witnesses to be together at the same time.
We must remind our clients that we are able to witness deathbed Wills, where a client must sign imminently; and these Wills can also be handwritten and prepared immediately. Legal practitioners who write Wills are key workers and please do not hesitate to contact us should you require further information in this regard
If you believe you or a loved one needs a Will witnessed via video link, please get in touch to see how we can help.
The blog postings on this site are accurate at the time that they are written and do not constitute legal advice. All comments are made in good faith, and neither Keyte Legal Limited nor the author will accept liability for them. Please contact us for more information or advice