"Please make a will in "Diia". The Ministry of Digital Affairs is already digitizing notary services, and in some countries of the world a will can be drawn up online. Should Ukrainians wait for an e-Will?

Do I need an eWill?

According to a survey conducted by dev.ua among IT professionals, the electronic tax return service is overdue. The vast majority of respondents are thinking about filing it.

We also asked if Diia added a service that allowed people to make a will online and have it notarized right there, whether IT people would use it. The answer was unanimous.

IT specialists are ready to bequeath their movable and immovable property, jewelry, art objects, etc. online. And they call the possibility of implementing a digital will «a very necessary thing» given that many specialists currently serve, and some are physically not in Ukraine.

Among the reasons for digitalizing the drafting of wills, the interviewed IT professionals mention the following:

• War;
• The dispersion of Ukrainians around the world;
• Significant time and material costs for a visit to a notary.

«eNotariat» has already been launched

Meanwhile, Fedorov and his team launched an electronic notary service.

The latest update is powers of attorney, and in the future the Ministry of Digital Affairs promises to digitize all notarial services. «We are digitizing notarial services — we are starting with the modernization of the Unified Register of Powers of Attorney. The launch of the unified electronic system „eNotariat“ is an important track to which we pay a lot of attention. We are transferring all notarial activities to a single digital space. This system will register all notarized documents,» the First Deputy Prime Minister notes.

To speed up the process, the Unified Register of Powers of Attorney is already being updated. «We completely rebuilt the workflow and changed the design. The register was outdated and unintuitive. This slowed down the reform and increased the workload for notaries. Notaries will work faster, the risk of error is minimal,» Fedorov assures. Later, according to him, the updated register will add the ability for citizens to check notarized powers of attorney through «Diya» — QR code scanning will be implemented, which will make it possible to instantly see whether a document is in the register.

At the same time, Denis Kravchenko, CT Security Analyst/Security Manager at Qvantel, notes that if qualified electronic digital signatures exist, some notarial actions are not required at all — for some insignificant, secondary, low-risk documents, it is enough to impose your own EDS or the company’s EDS on them and not «trouble» with notarization of such electronic documents.

«Extracts from registers are certified by EDS and there are no problems. „Diya“ has a digital signature, that is, an eNotary is suggested. The same with an apostille for abroad — we have established cross-border trust relations with the EU, so imposing and verifying a CEP even abroad is not a problem (though we need to oblige authorities to issue official documents in two languages at once — Ukrainian and English). These are such simple and elementary things that will greatly simplify the lives of a large number of people. In Ukraine, there are 5-7 million abroad — you can imagine how many notarial certifications and apostilles they do,» he wrote .

Wills will probably be digitized soon.

Is it possible to make a will online in the world?

A will is traditionally associated with thick folders of documents, trips to a notary, and signatures with witnesses. But digitalization has even touched this area: in several countries around the world, it is already possible to make a will online — in whole or in part.

However, even in countries with developed digital technologies, the full creation of a will online (without physical proof) is rare due to the need to ensure the authenticity of the document and the will of the testator.

In most countries, a will must be in writing and certified by a notary or other authorized person (e.g., consular offices for Ukrainians abroad). Online preparation is possible through specialized platforms, but signing or certification usually requires physical presence or the use of an electronic signature recognized in the specific jurisdiction.

Some countries that have acceded to the 1972 Convention on the Registration of Wills (e.g. Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain) allow wills to be registered in centralized registries. This can make the process easier, but does not always involve the full online preparation of the document.

Australia

In the state of New South Wales, the signing and notarization of documents, including wills, has been allowed in electronic form since 2020. This was a response to the COVID realities, when people could not physically meet with notaries or witnesses.

In some states, such as New South Wales and Victoria, there are online platforms (such as Safewill) that allow you to create a will online. Once you have filled out the template, you will need to print it out, sign it and have it notarized in the presence of two witnesses.

USA: depends on the state

In the US, everything is decided by local law. Some US states (e.g. California, Texas, Florida, Nevada, Arizona) have laws that allow the creation of so-called «electronic wills» (e-wills). This became possible after the adoption of the Electronic Wills Act in 2019 in certain jurisdictions.

Platforms such as Trust & Will, WillMaker, or LegalZoom allow users to create a will online by filling out templates. The document then usually needs to be printed, signed in the presence of witnesses and/or a notary, although some states (such as Nevada) allow the use of electronic signatures and remote notarization via video link. For example, the state of Florida has allowed remote online notarization (RON) since 2020, which simplifies the process. Other states still have the classic rules with paper documents and witnesses.

Canada: Trial mode

Provinces such as British Columbia and Ontario have allowed remote probate of wills via video link since 2020–2021 (legislative changes due to COVID-19). For example, in British Columbia, the Wills, Estates and Succession Act allows the use of an electronic signature under certain conditions.

Platforms like Willful or LegalWills offer online will preparation, but the document usually requires signatures and certification by witnesses or a notary.

The UK is already on the path to digital wills

In the UK (specifically England and Wales), during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it was temporarily allowed to probate wills via videoconference if the physical presence of witnesses was not possible. This is not a fully online will, but a step towards digitalization.

It is not yet officially possible to make an online will here. But the government is considering changing the law to legalize the electronic format. In the meantime, Britons use platforms like Farewill and WillSuite, which allow you to create a will online, but the document still needs to be signed and witnessed by two witnesses, who are physically present or can see the signing via video link. In Scotland, the requirements for wills are less strict, but online procedures are also limited.

Holographic wills

In a number of European countries (France, Germany, Estonia), as well as in South Africa and Namibia, so-called holographic wills are recognized — handwritten, dated and signed by the author. This is not exactly «online», but an option that does not require a notary.

In the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, a developed electronic signature (eID) system allows legal documents to be created online, but wills usually require notarization. For example, in Estonia, a document can be prepared via the e-Notar platform, but physical notarization remains mandatory.

In Singapore, platforms such as WillMaker allow you to create a will online, but a physical signature and witness attestation are required.

What if the property is in different countries?

Experts advise: if you have assets in several countries, it is better to draw up a separate will for each jurisdiction. Otherwise, you may encounter conflicts of laws. An alternative is the so-called International Will, which is valid in 169 countries.

Making a will completely online is currently only possible in a few countries, and even there, there are some nuances. Most often, online services prepare a document that still needs to be physically signed. But the trend is obvious: just like banking and medicine, even the «last document in life» is gradually moving online.

For Ukrainians abroad

For Ukrainians living abroad, making a will online in the full sense (without a physical certificate) is currently not possible due to the requirements of Ukrainian legislation. However, consular offices of Ukraine can certify wills under Ukrainian legislation. Some consulates allow applications or documents to be submitted electronically for preparation, but physical presence or video communication for certification is usually required. In countries that have joined the Convention on the Establishment of a System for the Registration of Wills (for example, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands), a will drawn up under local law may be recognized in Ukraine and registered in the Inheritance Register at the request of the testator. That is, foreign notaries can certify it.

Ukrainians can also use international platforms (such as LegalZoom or Farewill) to prepare a draft will, but for it to be legally valid, you need to contact a consulate or a foreign notary.

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