The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced plans to allow people to witness the signing of a Will by video call rather than being physically present.
New legislation to be introduced in September will be backdated to 31 January 2020 and remain in place until 31 January 2022 or “as long as necessary” the MoJ said in a statement.
The change in rules is designed to allow those who are shielding, elderly or otherwise vulnerable to coronavirus to write their Wills safely.
The MoJ said there had been an increase in the number of people seeking to make Wills during the pandemic.
Our interim Director of Fundraising Matt Smith said: “I welcome this potential game-changing move in an area that has been due an overhaul for a long time. Making it as easy as possible for people to set out their final wishes is vital for both the individuals themselves and for the charities they are choosing to support. The facts are simple; the more people that write a Will, the greater the potential for including a charitable donation and we know many patients are very keen to fund research into brain tumours by leaving a legacy and doing what they can to find an answer to the disease that so devastated their, and their families, lives”
You can read the MoJ’s guidance on making Wills using video-conferencing here
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