A headline of a 2019 Forbes article delivered a blunt message to those of us who practice estate law: “Electronic wills are coming whether lawyers like it or not.”
The article notes that the U.S. Uniform Law Commission “recognizes the trend in online everything” and recently approved the Electronic Wills Act, which provides a framework for a valid electronic will. Under the provisions of the Act, individual states can determine the number of witnesses required for the creation of a will and whether their virtual presence is sufficient. The will has to be in text form, meaning that video and audio wills are not allowed but, once the will is signed, witnessed and notarized (if required), it will be legal.
In Canada in 2020, the Uniform Law Conference of Canada (ULCC) approved in principle amendments to its Uniform Wills Act to allow for the drafting of electronic wills. A progress report from the ULCC notes that the Electronic Transactions Act has determined that the electronic medium was “sufficiently established, reliable and usable to be accepted for all business purposes.”
The Act specifically exempts three areas: wills, powers of attorney and conveyances. The exemption for wills should be lifted, the ULCC committee recommends, noting that “we now have almost 15 years of experience of electronic commerce … much of our daily lives and arrangements are performed electronically – most of our banking, all of our healthcare records, most of our insurance and even our professional certification is all carried out electronically. In that context, what argument could be advanced that wills are so different and so exclusive that they could not be accommodated under our approach to electronic commerce.”
The committee claims that “other than ‘tradition’ it is difficult to identify any cogent argument to support the continued exception. An electronic record, once stored, is reliable, can be retrieved for future use and its ‘custody and control’ is probably more clearly tracked in electronic form than in hard copy.”
Most provinces are being cautious about embracing electronic wills, or e-wills. British Columbia has taken the lead with the establishment of Bill 21: Wills Estates and Succession Amendment Act, 2020. Bill 21 was built upon a ministerial order that permitted the electronic witnessing of wills while British Columbia was in a state of emergency due to the COVID pandemic. It expands the definition of a will to allow one done in “electronic form” to satisfy the requirement that a will must be in writing. The bill received royal assent in August, 2020.
In Ontario, Attorney General Doug Downey has been content to partially open up estate law to the electronic medium. With the passage of Bill 245, Accelerating Access to Justice Act, 2021, the virtual witnessing of wills and power of attorney documents is now allowed in Ontario on a permanent basis. Previously, it was introduced on a temporary basis during the pandemic.
Virtual witnessing means the testator and witnesses can be connected through a video call, rather than being physically together in a lawyer’s office. There are two important caveats to keep in mind – the first being that at least one of these witnesses must be a licensed lawyer or paralegal. They are there not just to be a witness, but also to confirm that the testator has the requisite capacity to sign the Last Will and Testament and that they fully appreciate the nature and contents of it.
The second caveat is that while the act of signing can be done virtually, electronic signatures are not allowed. Instead, everyone involved must print out the documents and sign them in wet ink. Once they are put together and stored safely, the will is complete and legal.
While the Forbes article quoted in the introduction may be correct about e-wills being inevitable – some U.S. states, Britain and Australia have either passed laws allowing digital wills or are considering them – there are still many reasons for people to maintain the traditional approach for the time being.
The human contact between the testator and legal counsel offered in a face-to-face meeting cannot be fully replicated in a virtual meeting. This contact builds trust and reassurance, which is vital when drafting this important document. There is also a unique set of concerns surrounding the preparation of estate planning documents that sets them apart from other legal documents that are signed digitally.
At Hull & Hull LLP, we will be monitoring the evolution of e-wills and working to accommodate any legislation the province introduces, but we are glad to see Ontario taking a cautious approach in this area.
Take care, and have a great day.