Skype, FaceTime and email will be used by solicitors to draw up wills for their clients because of Covid-19 restrictions.
This is a new departure for Irish law as traditionally clients would have drawn up their wills at their solicitor's office.
"It’s a completely new departure because heretofore traditionally the client would always have attended the solicitors office and the solicitor would have talked through the instructions, made a note of those instructions, discussed various options," Ms O’Boyle said. The guidelines are an attempt by legal practitioners to "continue to provide legal services in an utterly changed environment" and to "continue to serve" communities all over Ireland.
It also states "it is not appropriate to take any prolonged instructions in a room with anyone and in particular an elderly person, as it would expose that person, as well as you and your employees". It states: "The Succession Act, 1965 is perfectly clear on this and the will must be signed or their signature acknowledged by the testator in the presence of witnesses who must then sign in the presence of the testator.
It outlines a "desk or similar writing surface placed in front of a window", that the will should be posted through the letterbox, so the client can execute the will, witnessed by the solicitor and the other witness through the window.Alternatively, if the client is sitting in their car when the solicitor arrives, they can sign on the dashboard of their car witnessed by the solicitor and the other witness – who can sign on the bonnet of the car while maintaining a social distance.
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