5 Simple Steps to Make a Will in Isolation Over Skype: What You Need to Know
When legal issues arise, it can be difficult to take action. Throw a viral pandemic into the mix and the hurdles of attending to important matters can be too imposing to overcome. But things have just been made a little easier in New South Wales with the State Government authorising the witnessing of wills and other important legal documents over video conferencing technology applications such as Skype, WhatsApp, Messenger, Facetime and Zoom. As a result of this change, you can now make your will, and other important legal documents, in the safety of isolation, without the need to step foot into a law firm office.
Why should I make a will?
There are a number of reasons people record a legally binding will. The most common reasons we see are:
Knowing in advance how everything you own will be distributed following your death;
Putting measures into place for the care of your minor children; and
Because of a change in personal circumstances such as births, deaths, a new relationship or the ending of an existing one.
Despite it being such an important document to have in place, wills are one of the biggest things that people put on hold. Shockingly, 45 percent of Australians do not have a will.
Making a will in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic
Ordinarily, to make a legally binding will you would have to sign the original will document in the presence of two witnesses, who would then witnesses your signature on the same original document. You would visit your lawyers office or your lawyer would pay a visit to you with a witness in tow.
The social distancing and isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced an adaption of how wills are signed, and the NSW State Government has now authorised the use of video conferencing technology to assist with the will making process.
As a result, you can now use video conferencing to make your will in just five simple steps as follows:
Speak with a solicitor over the telephone or a video conferencing application of your choice (Skype, WhatsApp, Messenger, Facetime, Zoom etc) to provide instructions as to what you want included in your will;
Your solicitor drafts the will and sends you a copy by mail or email;
Speak with your solicitor again over a video conference to review and sign your will. Your solicitor should provide a witness in this video conference to also witness you signing the will; and
Scan or take a photo of your signed will and email the copy to your solicitor
After the solicitor and witness see you sign your will during the video conference, they will sign either a printed scanned copy or an identical unsigned copy of your will. And presto, you have social distancing friendly, legally binding will!
To arrange a video conference with one of our expert solicitors, call our office now on (02) 66624122