The Covid-19 pandemic has had a two-pronged impact on will making. On
the one hand, the daily reporting in the media of an ever-increasing
number of infections and deaths has undoubtedly galvanised people into
putting their affairs in order, including by making a will. On the other
hand, the imposition of a national lockdown and social distancing
measures designed to slow the spread of the virus has made the mechanics
of the will making process much more challenging.
Although at the time of writing some of the restrictions are gradually
being eased, it seems clear that it is going to take some time before it
will be possible to make a will in the way it was before the pandemic.
The purpose of this short guide is to consider some of the challenges
which the Covid-19 pandemic has created for those in the business of
will preparation, and some of the ways in which these might be overcome.
The guide assumes some pre-existing familiarity with will preparation,
as the basics will not be covered.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Edward Hewitt is a barrister at 5 Stone Buildings in Lincoln's Inn. He
has a private client practice with a particular emphasis on inheritance
and trust disputes. He is frequently asked to advise and represent
clients in cases involving challenges to the validity of wills and
codicils, and was counsel in recent leading probate cases including
James v James and Kunicki v Hayward.
