Pros and Cons of Using Skype For Will Writing

In today's digital world, technology influences all aspects of our lives. Recently, the news that a firm from Hampshire is rolling out will-writing services via Skype stirred opinions in the profession. While some argue that the move is a logical next step in an increasingly connected world, others have raised concerns over the efficiency of such a process for writing a will.

According to an article on Lexology website, carrying out the procedure via Skype poses several major questions. First of all, broadband in certain places would make it difficult for a will writer and a client to communicate effectively. But even if this is not an issue, remote will-writing communication could open the door for the will to be challenged later on.

It is crucial that the will writer is able to assess that the testator was at his full mental capacity when the will was made. But when the will writer is not physically present in the same room as the testator, this may be harder to judge. Sometimes, the presence of a GP is necessary to confirm that a testator is of sound mind, Lexology said. Moreover, there can be no guarantee that there are no other people present in the room where the testator is, as they could be out of sight on the Skype camera.

Of course, there are also advantages to will writing over Skype - it makes it possible for clients from remote rural areas to contact a will writer without having to travel for hours and the will writer has the advantage of being able to read the client's body language and facial expressions.

Putting aside the pros and cons of the idea, it will be interesting to see if it catches on among firms and whether the Skype service will become mainstream. Find out more by visiting Lexology.