How to you make a valid will in a COVID-19 lockdown situation?
A will requires two witnesses to your signature. However, only groups of two are permitted. A minimum of three would be required.
Further, my uncle is in a nursing home that is currently not allowing any visitors, so it is not possible to get any witnesses in. To make matters worse, the staff are not permitted to witness documents.
If you are doing it though solicitors, I am sure that they can arrange two withness signatures. I understand the 2 grouping doesn’t apply to a workplace. If the solicitors can enter to prepare the will, then they can witness.
If you are concerned, they can watch you sign with appropriate social distancing, then you move away to let them counter sign.
The lawyer who draws up the will should know the answer. Have you asked?
Let’s not go into whether any individual can or should use a solicitor or DIY. It is not a given a lawyer is involved.
Our local solicitors only charge $750 for making and executing a simple will. Some people use downloaded free will templates and some buy will making kits for far less. Some solicitors charge far less, and others more, but. Some organisations have arrangements with legal firms to do cheap or free wills for the membership, but they deliver a signable document, they do not always help execute them.
Ours charges $300 with all changes hence covered by the original fee if you are still their customer (haven’t used another solicitor/lawyer). For me that was two appointments and a third for the signing - then changes if necessary …
Yours is a more reasonable locale. Our local solicitors are often full of themselves because the population is overweighted by long timers who are loyal to their suppliers and tend to do a lot of business by ‘send me your invoice’ rather than ‘how much will it be’. It is a down side to blindly supporting local businesses.
