Covid-19 guidelines to making your Will

THE onset of Covid-19 restrictions imposed by the government brought a wave of people young and old contacting their solicitors with regards to possible Wills.

Due to restrictions on travel, fear of leaving the safety of your home and imposed cocooning for those vulnerable, people may be under the impression that they are unable to make their Will.

This is not the case and the Law Society has recently issued guidelines on what can be done in the absence of a face to face meeting. There are two different options.

OPTION 1:

Your solicitor can take instruction over the phone and then email the draft Will to you for your approval. If you do not have internet, the draft Will can be posted to you.

Once approved, the original Will is posted to you where you will sign the Will in front of two neighbours or two friends ensuring that social distance is maintained.

This can be done by having your neighbours stand at your window and watch you sign it, then you pass the Will out to your neighbours through the window where they both sign and then return the Will back to you again through the window, ensuring not to have any physical contact, wearing gloves, not using the same pen and using antiseptic wipes on your hands before and after signing.

The original will is then posted back to the solicitor to be held in the safe.

OPTION 2:

Your solicitor can call to your home and witness the signing of the Will through the window as above. Alternatively if you are sitting in your car when your solicitor arrives, you can sign on the dashboard of your car witnessed by your solicitor and the other witness.

Your solicitor and the other witness can then sign on the bonnet of the car, at all times maintaining a social distance.

If you have any concerns or issues which are bothering you in relation to your Will, please do not hesitate to contact me at my office in Kildorrery. Jacquelyn Dunne, Solicitor