Witness a Will in a hospital bed
Adj Prof Dr Brett Davies
![Adj Prof Dr Brett Davies]()
Adj Prof Dr Brett Davies
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Signing in a hospital bed
Where a patient is confined to a hospital bed (on a ventilator or otherwise) and in quarantine:
- Place the unsigned Will on the bed with 3 identical blue pens.
- The patient reads the Will to make sure it accords with their wishes.
- Family, relatives and potential beneficiaries leave the room (they were probably not allowed to be in the room to start with). It is acceptable for other patients to be in the room, provided they are not related to the person signing the Will and, of course, they are not beneficiaries. (The signing of the Will does not need to be a private or solemn affair. A Will could be signed in a public place like a park or though a car window parked on the side of the road.)
- The two witnesses can be any persons over 18 years of age and of sound mind. Doctors, nurses, orderlies and strangers visiting the hospital make good witnesses, if they are prepared to perform this duty.
- The two witnesses stand at the hospital room doorway or as far as they can from the patient. But they can never lose visual sight:
- At no time can the three people ever lose visual sight of each other.
- The person signing the Will must never lose sight of the two witnesses through the entire Will signing.
- The two witnesses must never lose sight of each other and of the Will maker.
- The Will maker must watch the two witnesses fully witness the Will.
- The witnesses must watch each other fully witness the Will.
- The Will maker takes one of blue pens and signs the Will on each page. And then leaves the Will on the end of the bed.
- One of the witnesses takes the Will together with the two unused blue pens to the door way (or behind a glass enclosure). The two witnesses sign on every page.
- One of the witnesses puts the now fully signed Will on the bed. The witnesses leave. The witnesses can keep their blue pens or put them in the bin, as they see fit.
- The patient stores the fully signed Will as per the covering letter from Legal Consolidated that came with the Will.
- At any time, for help in signing telephone a solicitor from Legal Consolidated 24/7 on 1800 141 612 or speak with Professor Brett Davies’ personally on his mobile 0477796959. (Obviously this free service is only available if you are signing a Legal Consolidated Will.)