FAQ

Yes, the VideoWill App meets the legal requirements of a Formal Will.

The four items required in any Formal Will are as follows;

• The name of the testator (that is you, the person making the Will)

• Instructions as to how and to whom your estate (belongings) are to be distributed (that is assign your estate to one or more beneficiaries)

• Testator must sign and date.

• Two adult witnesses/signatures

The Testator needs to be of sound mind, not coerced or forced to make a Will.

The witnesses confirm the testator signature is made by you. They must be adults with only one exception: Witnesses must not be a beneficiary in your Will.

It’s a myth we would like to put to bed right now.

No! There are no legal requirements for a lawyer to create your Will any more than an account is required to file your tax return.

Lawyers can offer advice but ultimately the responsibility of what is in your Last Will and Testament document rests with you Testator (the person making the Will).

There are already plenty of DIY online Wills. There are also DIY fill in the blanks Will kit booklets available; you can even find them for sale at the local post office for about $33.

While a Lawyer is not required to make your Will, for some, obtaining legal advice before making their Will is important. We understand this but for many spending $1,000 plus isn’t financially viable. If you need legal assistance we can put you in touch with a Lawyer. We have enlisted the services of Lawyers in some jurisdictions to help you with what to say on your VideoWill App. While their services are not free they will offer our App users a heavily discounted price.

VideoWill uses the same standard templates attorneys use to build their Wills with the difference being that we only charge $7.99USD and it's free to update.

Please contact us on this website or via the support page on the VideoWill App and we will happily help you with your request.

Once you make your new VideoWill it becomes your legal Will and the old is automatically cancelled.

That’s why VideoWill creates a time stamp every time you make a new Will.

The cost of making a Will is often the reason why less than half the world's population have a Will.

The truth is, creating a legal Will doesn’t need to be expensive.

We aimed to make VideoWill inexpensive so that people could afford to make one.

Digital is the way things are done now.

Just like Uber is to the taxi industry and Airbnb is to the hotel industry, VideoWill is a new way and we believe a better way of creating a Will. Uber, Airbnb and VideoWill Apps are reaching a larger audience around the world bringing the cost down and passing the savings onto you.

Here at VideoWill, we are passionate about everybody having a will which is why we have made it affordable for just $7.99USD for every person in the world to access.

The following people normally have no right to inherit when someone dies without leaving a Will:

• Unmarried partners ( sometimes wrongly called ‘common-law’ partners)

• Lesbian or gay partners not in a civil partnership

• Relations by marriage

• Close friends

• Carers

When a person dies Intestate (without a Will), the government determines who inherits the decendent’s estate by applying ‘Next of Kin’ (NOK) criteria.

A next of kin is normally that closest living blood relative, however a spouse is also considered. The ( NOK ) criteria will vary between States in the USA, Australia and many other western countries.

If a person dies intestate with no identifiable next of kin, the person’s estate generally escheats ( i.e legally reverts) to the government or state.

In some states in the USA a cousin is not considered a next of Kin and therefore ineligible to receive an inheritance.

So having a Will is just a good common sense thing to do.

Having a Will is the legal way to express your wishes after your death. Without a will, you have no say in how your assets are distributed.

You may have wanted some of your things to go to a partner or close friend but if you don’t have a Will they'll probably miss out.

Perhaps you want your entire estate left to your wife but if you die without a Will there is no certainty of that, particularly if you already have children from another marriage. This was the fate of Rachel Byrne. Because her husband did not have a Will it meant that there was no clear path forward for her. {Link to Rachael’s story}

Your estate could be awarded to an ex-partner or estranged family member. The sensible and smart thing to do is make a Will. This will avoid those ‘tragic ever after stories’.

(Insert a picture of Howard Hughes)

Image description: Howard Robard Hughes Jnr ( Dec 24, 1905 - April 5, 1976)

If anyone needed a Will it was the family and friends of Howard Hughes…

Howard Robard Hughes Jnr ( Dec 24, 1905 - April 5, 1976 ) was the Elon Musk of the 20th century. The movie Iron Man was based on Howard Hughes. In real life, Hughes was a significant defence contractor for the U.S military developing new weapon technologies.

Hughes, an American business magnate, investor, record-setting around the world pilot, engineer, film director and philanthropist. He was known during his lifetime as one of the most financially successful individuals and eligible men on the planet.

His wealth started with the Howard Hughes Tool Company but he owned everything from casinos ( The Desert Inn, Frontier, Sands and more) to airlines (Trans World Airlines TWA, and Air West). He made Hollywood movies and built the largest ever flying boat named the Spruce Goose.

In 1975 he was considered the richest man in the world. When he died in 1976 his worth was estimated at $2.6 billion.

Howard Hughes died “intestate” (without a will).

In 1983 after a gruelling legal battle that included the state of California and Texas wanting a cut of the Hughes estate, the court ruled that $2.6 billion estate to be split between 22 cousins.

It took over seven years to finally award his estate. Had Hughes not been resident of Nevada at the time of his passing his cousins may have not been recognised as “Next of Kin” and his entire estate would have gone to the State.

We probably won’t ever have the wealth of Howard Hughes, but one thing is for certain we will all one day pass away.

Don't let others or strangers decide who will inherit your estate.

The simple answer is when you are of adult age you need a Will.

Many wait until a significant moment like buying a home, getting married or having a baby to make a Will, however no matter what age or situation you need a Will.

Wayne Dent’s story highlights the importance of having a Will;

Although he didn’t have many assets, his Will enabled the money he did have to be used to cover his funeral costs and also saved Bianca ( his daughter) from the stress of needing to liaise or communicate with her estranged step-brother.

VideoWill ensures your possessions are distributed to your loved ones as you wish.

The short answer is anytime you feel it necessary.

Many people delay updating their Will for years due to the costs of updating .

VideoWill App is FREE to update so there is no financial penalty. Now you can update your Will as often as you like.

At a minimum we suggest updating your Will for the following;

• Making a family

• Enter into relationship of importance

• Moving in with a partner

• When separated or divorced

• When feel someone is important to you and wish to leave then something

• Alternatively you feel someone should no longer be in your will

• Adding or changing beneficiaries

• If you change address, executor or power of attorney

Having an outdated Will can sometimes be worse than not having a Will at all. If you go through a marriage breakup and fail to update your Will, those that are no longer important in your life may end up inheriting your estate.

Convenient - Create your legal will from your phone from virtually anywhere in the world.

Affordable - Complete your legal Will for $7.99USD.

Advanced Technology - VideoWill uses the convenience of voice-to-text technology to convert your wishes to a legal PDF text document.

Update at any time - As circumstances in your life change, for example, you get married, have children or unfortunately divorce, you can update your Will at no additional cost.

Quick - Create your legal Will or update it within minutes.

Secure and Private - With a private login, your updates send you an email alert and data encryption with cloud backup.

Cloud backup - If you lose or change your phone you are protected. Your legal Will is backed up on the cloud.

Exportable - Print or send your legal Will via email, SMS, messenger etc.

Customer Service - VideoWill is passionate about everybody having a legal Will which is why we are committed to providing help and advice if you need it while compiling your Will.

Keeping a Will simple and not overcomplicating it would be our recommendation.

A legal Will can be as simple as “ I leave everything to my wife ” or “I leave everything I own to cousin Jim Smith and boyfriend Tony to split 50/50”.

Or you can make your Will complex and difficult to administer like English woman Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook, who died January 9, 1925, age 68, and is thought to be the longest Will ever filed for probate. The Will was 1066 pages and was 95,940 words long.

With some diligent research, you can draft a Last Will and Testament completely on your own like the one offered by VideoWill. We do offer some tips and are happy to offer you some support but we can also refer you to a lawyer should you need to speak with someone.

Recording your VideoWill is easy and can be as simple as one sentence or include a long list of requests depending on how much detail you would like to include. Below is an example list created by co-founder Angelos indicating his beneficiaries and what he wishes to leave them in his will.

Remember, you can add more than one person to each beneficiary video if you choose. Below are some examples of different ways I could use my list of beneficiaries and distribute my belongings, otherwise known as my estate in my VideoWill.

AUTHORITY - an individual nominated by you to act on your behalf.

BENEFICIARY - a person or persons you wish to leave something to.

COGNITIVE - able to comprehend, process, remember and apply information. That is for you to be able to communicate and to be understood by another person.

ESTATE - everything you own for example all money, property, pets, jewellery, and clothes.

EXECUTOR- an individual nominated by the testator to administer the estate in accordance with your will.

The executor will take charge after your death, find your last will and get a grant of probate. This is the permission to access your legal documents, collect your assets, make sure your bills and debts are paid, and then distribute the estate according to the instructions in your will.

While it is not a legal requirement to have an executor it is the most common practice to nominate one in a formal will.

If an executor is not included in your will, the court will appoint one. Often a court-appointed public trustee or similar is chosen. This often incurs large charges to carry out these tasks which are paid by the estate before distribution. There are often delays distributing the estate as a court appointee needs to familiarise themselves with the Testator's will and identify the Beneficiaries.

Appointing an executor is a very smart decision; it will save your beneficiaries money and will speed up the process which is important if you have a partner that depends on you to assist with paying bills. All your money is frozen until released by the executor.

GUARDIAN - a person or persons you nominate to care for your children until of legal age. This can also include your pets.

INTESTATE - a person who passes away without a will.

POWER OF ATTORNEY- an individual nominated by the testator (you). It gives them authority to act on your behalf in all legal, financial, and welfare matters if you are not of sound mind or unable to make decisions due to being injured, or unwell. That is unable to physically or cognitively communicate.

As your Power of Attorney has access to your finances and your welfare, make sure they are extremely trustworthy.

SECOND EXECUTOR - the individual nominated will only carry out the executor's role if the first nominated executor is unable or declines the responsibility.

TESTATOR - is you, the person making the will.

WITNESS - an adult person that can confirm the Testator has signed the will. The witness must not be a beneficiary of this will. By convention, two witnesses are required.