The days of having two witnesses and a notary in the lawyer’s office to execute a will may be ending. Six states have passed electronic will legislation, with three other states recently introducing legislation to accept them. All the work to complete your e-will occurs from the comfort of your home.
Electronic document management is not new, but the process is slow to incorporate estate planning. Security or fear of fraud played a part in delaying wills from entering into online use. If everyone meets in the same room, it is less likely that someone could threaten the person who is signing the will. Some states require video and detailed questions to alleviate these concerns.
Many believe the pandemic stepped up the process of accepting electronic wills because people couldn’t meet in person to execute them. The advantage of an electronic will means you don’t have to keep a physical copy of your will, which eases concerns of losing the physical document. For those will simple estates and one or two children to pass their estate to, electronic wills may save quite a bit of time and money.
Read HERE about Colorado becoming the latest state to pass legislation for e-wills and more detailed information about the process.