These days, we expect to do everything online — from banking to happy hour to grocery shopping. Why not complete our wills online?
Electronic wills (or e-wills) are now increasingly available, meaning the ability to create, sign and store a will online is now reality in several states. Restrictions attributed to the pandemic have bolstered the demand for e-wills because in-person legal meetings bring an inherent risk to those who are older or otherwise at high risk of contracting COVID-19. As a result, many states have made provisions to accomodate the need for socially distanced creation and execution of contracts.
Attorneys across the country are debating if this is a positive or negative development. Are e-wills an inevitable convenience, as more and more services move online? Or does the advent of electronic wills put vulnerable adults at greater risk of undue influence?
Today we’re excited to share a new white paper, Electronic Wills Are Here, But Are They Here to Stay?, written by Brantley Boyett, ex-estate attorney and co-founder of Giving Docs. Learn about the history of electronic wills, the context in which they are debated, and the challenges faced by U.S. state governments as they adopt electronic methods of will creation, execution, and storage during the pandemic. Find out why e-wills are gaining acceptance and what complexities this new form of estate planning brings to the legal process.
Download the white paper here, and let us know your thoughts on the subject. Email us at info@givingdocs.com.
