Deep Dive: ‘Integrity’ — Ensuring an Electronic Will Cannot Be Altered After Signing

This is the third and final article in our series of deep dives on the three requirements for a 'Reliable System' for electronic wills based on the recommendations from the Law Commission report on modernising wills in England and Wales.

Why Integrity Matters in an Electronic Will

In our previous articles, we explained how a 'reliable system' must provide Authenticity (who signed the will) and Security (that the signing environment was safe from fraud and coercion).

Now we turn to the third and final pillar: Integrity.

Authenticity and Security get the will signed. Integrity ensures it lasts and remains unaltered until it’s needed.

In simple terms, Integrity means the executed electronic will is fixed, verifiable, and protected against deletion, editing, or other forms of forgery and fraud. Only with this guarantee can an electronic will be trusted by the Probate Court decades after it was originally signed.

What the Law Will Require: Protecting the "Original"

One of the Law Commission’s key recommendations is a ‘reliable system’ must ensure the “original or authentic will is identifiable from copies,” and that it is “protected from unauthorised alteration or destruction.”

This sounds simple, but in the digital world, it solves a unique problem.

The Challenge: The 'Invisible Edit'

With a paper will, if someone tries to change it, they have to physically interact with the document. You might see a different pen, a smudge, or a replaced page.

Digital files are different. Without protection, a digital file can be changed invisibly. A bad actor could change a beneficiary's name or a donation amount, and the file would look exactly the same to the naked eye. This is why integrity is a core requirement for electronic wills.

Integrity answers the critical question:

After the will is signed, how do we prove that it is exactly the same document the testator intended, with not a single character or pixel altered?

The Technology Solution: How Integrity Is Achieved

You don’t need to be a cryptographer to understand how we solve this. A reliable system achieves integrity by combining three complementary technologies.

1. The Digital Fingerprint (Cryptographic Hashing)

Every electronic file has unique data. A reliable system runs that data through a cryptographic algorithm to generate a unique string of characters called a 'Hash'.

Think of this as the will’s digital DNA or fingerprint.

• If the file remains exactly the same, the fingerprint stays the same.
• If anything changes – even a single comma or a space - the fingerprint changes completely.

Using technology, this allows a court to instantly verify if the document presented to them is the authentic original.

2.The Digital Anchor (Timestamping)

It’s not enough to know the document hasn’t changed; we need to know when it was signed to prove it is the latest valid will.

A reliable system uses immutable timestamps often anchored on a blockchain). This proves that this specific version of the will existed at this specific moment in time and hasn’t been touched since.

3. The Single Source of Truth(Originals vs. Copies)

In the physical world, the 'original' is the paper with the ‘wet ink’ signature. In the digital world, files can be copied perfectly over and over again. So, how do we prove which one is the original?

A reliable system solves this by designating the version stored in its Secure Digital Vault as the authoritative Master Record.

• The Original: The file that is cryptographically locked, stored in the system, and matches the original Audit Trail.
• The Copies: Any file downloaded or printed from the system. Crucially, the system ensures the original is uniquely identifiable from these copies (typically via metadata or watermarking), allowing a court to trace any copy back to the Master Record to verify its legitimacy.

Why Integrity Matters for Probate

When your Executor applies for probate, the court’s job is to ensure the will is valid. With paper, this can be messy; signatures are challenged, pages may go missing, and wills can be are damaged or lost completely. Unfortunately, this is happening more often as the value of estates continues to rise, and inheritances – particularly real estate – become more significant to the beneficiaries.

With an electronic will built on a reliable system, the court gets certainty.

They don't just get a document; they get a proof package:

1. The Will: The visual document.
2. The Fingerprint: Proving it hasn't changed.
3. The Audit Trail: Proving who signed it, when, and where.

This eliminates the "grey areas".

How adeus Meets the Integrity Requirement

At adeus, we treat the Integrity of your will as the ultimate priority. We build it into the lifecycle of the document, from the second it is signed to the moment it is needed years later.

OurApproach to Integrity:

• adeus True Will™ Technology: Every executed will is immediately hashed (digitally fingerprinted). This hash is stored in our immutable audit log, creating a permanent link between the document and the event of signing.
• Time-stamping: We use blockchain technology to create a verifiable, unchangeable record of exactly when the will was executed.
• Secure Digital Vault: The "Original" will is stored in our high-security, encrypted vault. It is protected against corruption, format obsolescence, and data loss, ensuring it can be read by future generations.
• Version Locking: If you ever update your will, the system marks the old will as ‘revoked’ in accordance with the legal execution process and creates a fresh, new Master Record for the new will. There is never any confusion about which version is current.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1.What happens if I want to change my electronic will?

You cannot 'edit' an executed electronic will. This protects its integrity. Instead, you simply make a new will. The system will execute and store the new will (creating a new unique fingerprint) and legally revoke the old one.

Q2.Can I print an electronic will?

Yes, but the printout is a copy. The "Original" is the digital file stored in the reliable system. The print-out can be verified against the digital original using its unique ID, but – if the Law Commission recommendations are enacted as per its recommendation – the legal authority resides in the digital Master Record.

Q3.Is an electronic will safer than a paper will?

Yes. A paper will is vulnerable to fire, flood, loss, and unauthorised alteration (like removing a staple or swapping a page). An electronic will stored in a reliable system is immune to physical damage and cryptographically protected against alteration.

Q4. Will electronic wills be legal across the UK, or only in England and Wales?

The proposed changes to allow electronic wills apply only to England and Wales.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate legal systems with their own succession laws, court processes and legal requirements for making a valid will. While they are also exploring digital and legal reform in their own ways, the Law Commission’s recommendations and draft Wills Bill discussed here relate solely to England and Wales.

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Bringing It All Together

We’ve now explored the three pillars that make an electronic will valid under the LawCommission’s proposals:

1. Authenticity: Proving who signed.
2. Security: Protecting the process from fraud.
3. Integrity: Ensuring the document lasts forever.

Together, these form the ‘Reliable System’ the foundation for legally valid electronic wills in England and Wales.

About adeus

adeus (Mankind Technologies Ltd.) is uniquely positioned to build the foundations for electronic wills in England and Wales. Backed by the UK Government, through an Innovate UK Smart Grant and supported by LawtechUK we’re also recognised as a law tech pioneer by industry figures. We’re combining legal rigour, modern technology and user-centred design to deliver a trusted, future-proof foundation for electronic wills (e-wills). 

Our work ensures that when the new law arrives, the technology to make electronic wills safe and secure is in place, wrapped in a user-friendly customer experience. Our goal is to make it easy for people to create their will and update it as their lives and wishes change.

About the Author

Mark Hedley is the co-founder of adeus, a UK legal-tech company focused on modernising will-writing and digital legacy planning. He writes regularly about the upcoming reforms to the Wills Act, the future of electronic wills in England & Wales, and the evolving digital legacy space.

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn

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