Electronic Wills Explained: What Is a Reliable System?
November 23, 2025
Electronic Wills in the UK: What is a 'Reliable System' under the Law Commission's Draft Bill?
We are on the cusp of the most significant reform to will-making since 1837, when pen and ink were state-of-the-art and the idea of a digital document belonged firmly in science fiction. The Law Commission’s recommendations bring will-making into the modern age, where identity, security, and long-term storage are digital by default. Electronic wills will no longer be theoretical, they’re about to become a practical, lawful way for people - at least for those of us in England and Wales - to protect our legacies.
The Law Commission recommendation is a long read, but the one phrase that sits at the heart of the proposed new Wills Act is:
A valid electronic Will must be made and stored using a ‘reliable system.’
It’s an excellent, technology-neutral principle. So, let’s break it down in clear, practical terms.
What Does “Reliable System” Actually Mean?
The Law Commission didn’t pluck the phrase out of thin air. It is their way of ensuring electronic wills are just as trusted and secure — if not more so — than paper wills.
The report defines the requirements for a ‘reliable system’ as a system that ensures:
- The testator (or person signing on the testator’s behalf) and the witnesses are linked to their signatures at the time signing
- The original or authentic will is identifiable from copies of it, and
- The original or authentic will is protected from unauthorised alteration or destruction.
The proposed law does not prescribe one specific technology but describes functional outcomes. This approach provides room for innovation and continuous improvement, which is good news for those of us who use digital platforms and understand the pace of change in technology.
The Law Commission does, however, recommend that the ‘Secretary of State’ is empowered to detail the technical standards if the Government deems necessary. This ensures the legal framework can evolve as technology advances, meaning electronic wills won’t become outdated every time technology improves or cybersecurity risks change.
Why This Matters (The Weaknesses of Paper)
Paper wills are familiar, but they have major weaknesses. They can be easily lost or damaged, pages can become separated, or the signing and witnessing may be questioned at a later date when people are no longer able to verify what happened.
Electronic wills, when built on a reliable system, solve these issues. Benefits include:
- Verifiable proof of who signed and witnessed.
- Transparent record of when and how the document was executed, with a clear audit trail.
- Secure, tamper-proof storage and easy retrieval.
In the UK, once the law changes electronic wills will only be legally valid if created on a reliable system that meets these three standards.
The Three Components of a Reliable System
We simplify the Law Commission's three legal requirements into three core technical requirements: Authenticity, Security, and Integrity.
1. Authenticity: Proving Identity
Authenticity is the most fundamental requirement: the system must be able to confirm who signed and prove it later. Without strong identity verification, nothing else matters.
This requirement will ensure the system can reliably link any electronic signature with the person whose signature it is
- What it means: The system must be able to prove the identity of who’s making and witnessing the will. No guesswork.
- Technology in action: This requires advanced tools like digital identity verification, biometrics, and secure logins to create an immutable digital ‘book of evidence’. The system must be confident you are who you say you are and be able to prove it later.
2. Security: Preventing Tampering and Fraud
This requirement is intended to ensure the will is protected from unauthorised alteration or destruction.
- What it means: Security is about safeguarding the environment in which the will is drafted and executed. A reliable system must protect against: Impersonation, Fraud, Coercion, and Forgery or tampering.
- Protecting against threats: In the world of AI and Deep Fakes, this is essential. Your wishes should remain your wishes; protected from outside influence and impersonation, not just now, but as technology evolves.
3. Integrity: Preserving the Final Version
This requirement is intended to ensure the original or authentic will is identifiable from copies and cannot be altered after execution.
- What it means: Once the will is executed, it must be cryptographically locked. Integrity is about ensuring: the final version is locked and cannot be altered; evidence of the original version is permanent and tamper-evident; and during Probate the executor and courts can easily access and verify its authenticity.
- Technology in action: This is where technologies like encryption, blockchain, timestamping, and audit logs really shine. They provide transparent, independently verifiable proof that ‘this is the exact will the testator signed’.
Why This Matters to You
An electronic will is for you if you’re someone who:
- manages much of your life digitally
- Values simplicity and control
- Believes technology should make important tasks easier
You won’t need to understand every piece of technology behind the scenes – that’s our job – but you will feel the benefits instantly.
If you prefer the more traditional paper-based approaching, the existing options will still be available.
Over time we anticipate everyone moving to electronic wills because a reliable electronic will system resolves many of the issues with paper-based wills. Not only that, but electronic wills will be simpler, more accessible, and lower cost, meaning more people can have a will and update it more regularly.
How adeus Meets the Reliable System Standard
At adeus, we’ve been building toward this future from day one. Here’s how the adeus platform aligns with the three requirements. In fact, we think we can do better than the standard required and have a dedicated innovation team building towards that:
Authenticity
adeus: Digital identity verification, secure account access, strong authentication and encryption, and clear evidence trails showing who accessed, and when.
Security
adeus: Strong encryption across the platform, clear guided execution flows, no-edit execution and witnessing, locked pathways to prevent unauthorised changes, and continuous audit logging.
Integrity
adeus: adeus True Will technology combining encryption, SHA-256 hashing, digital fingerprint on blockchain, redundant storage, and time-stamping for all steps of the process, with a permanent audit trail.
With secure, long-term storage in the adeus Digital Vault, and the adeus Executor Toolkit for trusted third-party verification and access adeus simplifies will writing, execution and probate.
Put simply with adeus True Wills: You create your will digitally, we keep it safe, and when your family needs it, it’s available and verifiable.
We always go back to the current best practice, which is a piece of paper, in a drawer at home or potentially at a solicitors office. This is relatively easily accessible and with technology including AI, is becoming easier to forge, or simply go missing if a 'bad actor' wanted to change something to their benefit. We're actively investing to build a reliable system that is not just equivalent, but is orders of magnitude better than paper.
What Happens Next?
Over the next few months, the government will finalise the regulations that sit behind the new Wills Act. Those regulations will include clarity on what will count as a ‘reliable system’.
At adeus, we’re already aligned with the Law Commission’s intended model. We’re pushing to offer the ‘gold standard’ electronic will, one that exceeds the requirements and stays ahead as technology continues to evolve.
The three requirements — authenticity, security, and integrity — form the backbone of the new era of electronic wills.Once the regulations are finalised, they will define how platforms like adeus protect your wishes from the moment you sign to the moment your executor needs the will.
Deep Dives: Explore the Three Parts of a Reliable System
This article is the hub of our four-part series. If you want to dive deep into the mechanics of the specific topics – authenticity, security, and integrity – here are the next articles in the series, we’ll add links as they are published over the next few weeks prior to the end of 2025:
- Authenticity: Proving identity when creating an electronic will
- Security: Protecting the will from fraud, coercion, or compromise
- Integrity: Ensuring the will cannot be altered after execution
Beyond the Will: Modernising Testamentary Capacity
While the "Reliable System" revolutionises how a legally valid will is made electronically, the draft Bill also proposes a modern update to how ‘Testamentary Capacity’ is assessed based on the Mental Capacity Act 2005, a significant shift in its own right. We’ll cover that in a separate article, so it has the space it deserves
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. When will electronic wills become legal in England and Wales?
While the Law Commission published its final recommendations and a Draft Wills Bill in May 2025, electronic wills are not yet legal in England and Wales. The government must first finalise the regulations and pass the new Wills Act through Parliament. At adeus, we are aligned with the intended model and are prepared to launch immediately once the legislation is fully enacted.
Q2. What exactly is the 'reliable system' mentioned by the Law Commission?
The 'reliable system' is the mandatory digital infrastructure proposed by the Law Commission for creating, executing, and storing valid electronic wills. It is defined by three core functional outcomes that any technology must meet to ensure the willis legally sound: Authenticity, Security, and Integrity.The law does not mandate a specific technology but sets expectations for digital proof and security.
Q3. Why does an electronic will need to be made on a reliable system?
The reliable system is required to overcome the inherent weaknesses of paper wills and guard against digital risks. It provides verifiable, immutable evidence that cannot be easily achieved with paper, such as:
- Proof of Identity: Eliminating guesswork about who signed the document.
- Tamper-Proof Storage: Cryptographically locking the final version to prevent any alteration.
- Clear Audit Trails: Providing a detailed record of the execution process for the Probate Court.
Q4. Does the new law completely replace traditional paper wills?
No. The introduction of electronic wills will be optional. Paper wills, executed and witnessed under the existing, traditional formalities, will still remain a legally valid choice. The new law provides an additional, modern option for those who prefer a secure, digital solution and who manage much of their life online.
Q5. Does the ‘reliable system’ apply only to the signing process, or also to long-term storage?
The reliable system requirements apply to both the execution process (signing and witnessing) and the long-term preservation of the electronic will. The system must ensure integrity by using technologies like encryption and blockchain to securely store the final, executed document, protecting it from unauthorised alteration or destruction for decades.
Q6. 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.
Deep Dives: Explore the Three Parts of a Reliable System
This article is part of our four-part series. If you want to dive deep into the mechanics of the specific topics – authenticity, security, and integrity – here are the articles in the series, we’ll add links as they are published over the next few weeks prior to the end of 2025:
- Reliable System: a summary of the key requirements
- Authenticity: Proving identity when creating an electronic will
- Security: Protecting the will from fraud, coercion, or compromise
- Integrity: Ensuring the will cannot be altered after execution
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 lawtech 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.
