22 June 2020

Brooke launches ‘How to’ guide for Will writing whilst social distancing

Brooke has launched a new ‘How To’ guide for people writing or updating their Will, specifically giving helpful information on how to do so whilst also adhering to current social distancing guidelines.  It’s included with a whole host of other useful information on Will writing, available on the Brooke website.

The spread of Coronavirus has had a huge impact on all elements of our lives, meaning people are less able to travel, see friends and family, or take cares of life’s essentials.

In order for a Will to be legally valid it needs to be signed by both the person making it and two independent witnesses who are not family, a beneficiary, or the spouse of a beneficiary. And all three must be physically present at the same place when this happens. Whilst this is made more challenging by social distancing guidelines, it is still possible to get more than two people together to witness a will.

James Buchan, a lawyer at Which? Wills said

People have signed on one side of a window and passed the Will to witnesses on the other side. And in another case, neighbours stood at one end of a drive to watch the signing, the document was then brought forward to a safe distance, placed down and once the Will maker had withdrawn, the witnesses collected the paperwork, signed it and left it to be picked up.

Whatever is happening in the world, it’s important to write a Will to ensure the people and things you love are taken care of in the future, this also goes for causes too. Gifts in Wills fund over half of Brooke’s work around the world, making improvements to the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people who depend on them.  

To access Brooke’s new guidance on writing a Will whilst social distancing, click here.

You can also find out about how Gifts in Wills impact our work here.