Legal Briefing Juliet Phillips - James
Solicitor casts her expert eye over a range of legal matters and urges anyone with any questions or problems to come forward for help.
Q AWill safely, can I cross out the changes and write the new provisions in?
The coronavirus has certainly made us all nervous of being in close proximity to others and we have also had to adapt to how we provide our legal services. We are presently taking telephone instructions from clients wishing to make a Will or change their Wills and it would assist if you firstly provide us with a copy or the original of your Will, we can then make arrangements for a telephone appointment to discuss the changes you wish to make. Please do not mark your Will in any way, you should not cross out any part of the Will or write on it as this could create an issue in proving the Will with the Probate Registry in the future. Your current Will remains in place until a new Will or Codicil is properly executed. A Codicil is an addition to your current Will and is the document that will make the changes to your current Will. During the telephone appointment we will discuss whether your current Will should be revoked and a new Will drafted or whether a Codicil would be more appropriate. Thereafter, ideally we should have a face to face meeting to discuss and check your wishes and instructions and arrange execution of the Will or Codicil, so, if agreeable we can make arrangements to visit you at home; we would not enter your property but would remain outside at a safe distance. As a Will or Codicil has to be signed in the presence of two independent witnesses then we are required to witness you signing the Will whether this be on the doorstep or behind a viewing screen. If the changes you wish to make favour, or otherwise, a beneficiary then we would prefer to take instructions face to face on a safe basis to ensure there are no circumstances that may give rise to an issue and to safeguard your wishes from a contest as regards the terms of your Will. Firstly, however may we suggest you contact our Wills and Probate department at Gomer Williams for an initial discussion and so we may discuss appropriate arrangements.
Find more legal advice from Juliet Phillips-james at... http://gomerwilliamssolicitors.co.uk