Wills

LeoFrancisC

Hi All,

I have recently launched a cloud service for solicitors - to allow them to securely manage their clients wills.

We are looking to extend this service for it to be a decentralised national wills register - which would ensure that the location of each person's will is always known... i.e., the wishes of the deceased can be followed (no lost wills).

Ireland is one of only 3 countries in the EU without a register but there is very little information available in relation to the number of lost wills - or the difficulties people have encountered finding wills and obtaining grant of probate.

I would be very grateful for any feedback or experiences you can share in this area.

Best,

Leo

MFlack2012

LeoFrancisC wrote: »

Hi All,

I have recently launched a cloud service for solicitors - to allow them to securely manage their clients wills.

We are looking to extend this service for it to be a decentralised national wills register - which would ensure that the location of each person's will is always known... i.e., the wishes of the deceased can be followed (no lost wills).

Ireland is one of only 3 countries in the EU without a register but there is very little information available in relation to the number of lost wills - or the difficulties people have encountered finding wills and obtaining grant of probate.

I would be very grateful for any feedback or experiences you can share in this area.

Best,

Leo

Great idea.

My Great Aunt, passed away a number of years ago. Her nieces were looking after her finances etc, but two years before her passing there were a number of fraud issues going on and my Grandmother (and our family) took over her care. Her will was with a Solicitor who had died, unfortunately that is as far as we got with it. her will was never found.

LeoFrancisC

Thank you for the feedback and for sharing what happened within your family. I do believe that cases like this happen more frequently than one might imagine but with the lack of information on it maybe the best way of knowing for sure is for people to share their stories like this. Much appreciated.

pedroeibar1

LeoFrancisC wrote: »

Hi All,

We are looking to extend this service for it to be a decentralised national wills register - which would ensure that the location of each person's will is always known... i.e., the wishes of the deceased can be followed (no lost wills).

That is not clear.

If it is a 'national wills register' it is centralised in your cloud. Unless of course it is just a list of those who have made a will and whose solicitors have registered the fact that they hold the will. What happens if the solicitor does not register with you? What happens if there is a codicil? What happens is the testator goes to a new solicitor and draws up a new will ("I hereby revoke all previous wills and testamentary dispositions made by me etc, blah blah") and it's not registered? How about GDPR?

I think the idea is good and could work if done peoperly but looks like it's early days & you have a lot more to do. IMO it would be best to approach the Incorp law Soc and try to do a JV or outsource deal with them. Good luck with it.

LeoFrancisC

Thanks for the thoughtful reply and good wishes. You are right - it is early days, and there's a lot to consider.

In my post I wished to get across the essence of what the service will offer
- location of where the the will is.

The key to making it a valuable service will be widespread use and buy-in by the legal community
but ultimately the people it will benefit the most are the general public.

In Ireland it seems we don't like thinking about death or wills until it happens. Many people die without having made a will.
The experiences i am looking for people to share are where a will was made - but it was lost, destroyed, damage, other...