The Jersey government has introduced emergency legislation to help people to take steps to put in place wills and make other estate planning arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new legislation will temporarily relax the formal requirement for two witnesses to be physically present when a will is signed. Instead the witnessing requirements that are necessary to execute a valid will may now be completed by audio/video communication.

Offshore law firm Ogier said that this is especially important in light of the increase in the number of clients wanting to write new, or update existing, wills or Lasting Powers of...