New PD issued by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court this afternoon in relation to informal wills executed during COVID-19.
In effect, if drafted by (or witnessed by, or supervised by) a solicitor, then wills that are witnessed by 1 or 2 witnesses via video conference but not physically, may be admitted to probate by the Registrar under s18 of the Succession Act 1981, rather than an application needing to be heard by a Judge.
Of course this doesn’t make the will a duly executed one, and until legislation is passed allowing video witnessing of wills, the best practice will still be to have the will witnessed by 2 witnesses who are physically in the presence of the testator.
caitebrewer.com.au 
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