How To Get Your Estate Plan Done During A Global Pandemic?

With most of us working from home or sheltering-in-place and being mindful of social distancing, you may be wondering how could you still get your estate plan done?  Fortunately, in South Dakota, the Supreme Court has made that process easier and safer for everyone. As of April 14, 2020, we can use communication technology, such as Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, or Zoom to complete the signing your estate plan.

So, how does it all work?

1. A Goosmann attorney will draft your estate plan to exact specifications.
2. We will set up a convenient time for the attorney, two witnesses, and you to be on a virtual call where we all can see and hear each other.
3. Prior to the call, we will make sure everyone has physical copies of the estate planning documents.
4. During the call between you, the witnesses and the attorney, the attorney will make sure everyone can hear and see each other, have all the same documents, and verify your identity.
5. The attorney will ask you if you are signing the estate plan of your own free will and then you can start signing the documents, showing them to everyone as you sign them.
6. Meanwhile, the witnesses are signing the documents saying that they can see you signing your estate plan.
7. After that is all done, you simply mail the documents back to the attorney for notarization and you are done.
8. When the attorney receives them, he or she will notarize them and send the originals back to you.

See - even during an global pandemic you can still protect your estate and family with a well-crafted Goosmann estate plan!  Feel free to reach out to our Sioux Falls office to have your estate plan done today.