Making a will in England and Wales still relies on a 19th-century law that requires pen, paper, and physical signatures—a process the COVID-19 pandemic showed is both fragile and unnecessary. The Law Commission is now reviewing the law, with a report due in April 2025, and the technology company Mankind Technologies has built a platform called Adeus.life to handle the entire process digitally: drafting, signing, storing, and managing a will from start to finish, rather than just digitising parts of it. The core problem is that poorly documented or lost wills fuel inheritance disputes, family stress, and legal costs. Adeus.life uses immutable data verification to create a permanent, transparent record of a testator’s assets and wishes, which should reduce contested wills and make it easier for executors to carry out instructions. A basic digital vault lets users track accounts and assets as a first step toward writing a will. If adopted, this could modernise a legal process that affects millions of families, reduce court time over disputed estates, and position the UK as a global leader in digital legacy planning.
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The Law Commission of England-&-Wales is exploring the digitisation of Wills to modernise the laws governing them. This initiative aims to address the complexities and outdated aspects of current legal-frameworks, based on the Wills-Act:1837\. A final report and Bill are expected in Apr-2025\. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the feasibility and need for electronic Wills. Mankind Technologies ('Adeus') is pioneering the development of a digital-solution (Adeus.life) that will positively disrupt the way people plan and protect their legacies by providing a secure, trusted and permanent means of streamlining the preparation, execution and management of Wills. Adeus.life will manage the entire process of creating, executing and storing a Will digitally -- not just doing parts of the process electronically. Enhanced transparency will reduce contested Wills occurrence, inheritance disputes and eliminate the stresses of not knowing or being able to find where specific assets exist. Adeus proposes an unrivalled level of standardisation, streamlining and management of legacy/estate-planning through immutable data verification processes and digital tools. Adeus is uniquely and timely positioned to address this challenge. This represents a significant international opportunity for the UK to be a global-innovation leader that can provide symbiotic value for law firms and family members, providing them with a validated, trustworthy and secure means of legacy/estate-planning. Family members will benefit through clearer, well-documented digital Wills that can help reduce misunderstandings and dispute cases among beneficiaries. Easier access to Wills ensures that executors can quickly understand and execute a testator's wishes. Adeus' solution will ensure that the Last Will and Testament is executed with confidence and clarity, eliminating a key cause of disputed Wills. A basic digital-vault will allow customers to track their key accounts, assets and important information, providing a critical first-step in legacy-planning. When ready, this will form a basis for Will creation, providing smooth customer onboarding/experience.
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