U.K., Oct. 30 -- UK Parliament issued the following news:

In a letter to Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, the Committee has raised concerns about the Government's inaction on modernising wills.

Letter dated 29 October 2026 from the Rt Hon Lord Foster of Bath PC, Chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee to to Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister for Courts and Legal Services regarding modernising wills

Justice and Home Affairs Committee

The Letter

The report made 31 recommendations to modernise wills law, including a proposal that electronic wills should be capable of being formally valid on the same basis as traditional paper wills. Marking the end of Free Wills Month in October and the beginning of Will Aid in November, the Committee has highlighted the importance of making it easier for people to plan their estates and ensure their final wishes are respected. A 2025 survey by the National Will Register found that only 37% of UK adults had made a will. The Committee supports the Law Commission's recommendation to introduce digital wills, arguing that modernisation could make estate planning more accessible while preserving appropriate safeguards against fraud and forgery.

Chair's Comment

Lord Foster of Bath , Chair of the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee said:

"Electronic signatures and documents are an increasingly common part of our lives, a rate of change that moved faster still after the COVID-19 lockdowns. Electronic documents and signatures can be used to sign statements for use in criminal proceedings. They can be used to open bank accounts, buy property, obtain mortgages, and purchase vehicles. Yet while they can be used to amass an estate, they cannot be used to bequeath one, as the legal requirements governing wills remain rooted in the Wills Act 1837.

"The Law Commission has argued that the law must support testamentary freedom and that enabling wills to be made electronically is critical to doing so for future generations. The Law Society has also backed reform, warning that failure to act risks undermining people's ability to protect their final wishes. "The Committee is also concerned about the time taken by the Government to respond fully to the Law Commission's recommendations. More than 17 months after the Modernising Wills Law report was published, the Government has yet to provide its full response. Government statements in the period since publication have repeatedly indicated that further announcements would be made "in due course".

We urge the Government to clarify what action it is taking to make digital wills legally valid, how it intends to implement the Law Commission's recommendations, when its full response will be published and why there has been a significant delay."

Further information:

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