The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has finally announced that video-conferencing can now be used for the witnessing of wills in England and Wales, writes Libby Holding, who goes through steps advisers can take to make sure they follow the newly-amended rules
The MoJ has recognised that an increasing number of people have wanted to make wills during the Covid-19 pandemic but, for those people shielding or self-isolating, it has been extremely challenging to follow the normal legalities of making a will, particularly in terms of it being witnessed by two independent people in the presence of the testator. The MoJ has now announced that the relevant laws will be amended to state that the ‘presence' of the witnesses can be a ‘virtual presence' via video-link, as an alternative to physical presence. The new rule applies retrospectively to any wil...
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