Exorcising the ghost in the Wills Act

• Main Author: TANG, Hang Wu
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2020
• Subjects: Courts; Singapore; COVID-19; pandemic; public health; Asian Studies; Public Health
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/3228; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sol_research/article/5180/viewcontent/Exorcising_the_ghost_in_the_Wills_Act.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Ingenious lawyers all over the Commonwealth are dreaming up rigmaroles for the signing of wills amid the pandemic. An English law firm has suggested that the will should be signed at a park bench, with witnesses lurking nearby, ready to rotate around the document. Another option allows for the will to be signed at the person’s doorway while the witnesses stand outside, using the services of a well-trained pet to deliver the signed will to the witnesses. Singapore has passed many sensible temporary measures in response to COVID-19 disruption, including marrying couples remotely so that the newly-weds, witnesses and solemniser need not be physically present. Yet, such proximity remains required for an important life admin – the execution of a valid will. Like many Commonwealth countries, Singapore’s Wills Act mandates the presence and signatures of two witnesses, neither of whom are beneficiaries, making the process of executing a valid will onerous during this time. The current law is doing a disservice to people who want to sort out their affairs – especially during a time when life is potentially more fragile. Demand for will writing in the UK has reportedly jumped by 76 per cent. Here, fewer than 15 to 20 per cent of Singaporeans are estimated to have made a will.