News
Syngrafii Applauds the Enactment of Remote Signing for Wills in British Columbia (OIC 541-2021)
British Columbia Bill 21: Wills, Estates and Succession Amendment Act, 2020 (“Bill 21”) comes into effect December 1st, 2021
TORONTO, ON – November 22nd, 2021 – Syngrafii Inc. (https://syngrafii.com/) applauds the statutory recognition of remote signatures, on an ongoing and post-COVID basis, in the Province of British Columbia for the execution of Wills effective December 1st, 2021. The proclamation of OIC 541-2021, on the advice of the Attorney General, which puts into force certain amendments to B.C.’s Wills, Estates and Succession Act, S.B.C. 2009, makes the Province a cutting-edge legal technology jurisdiction. The real benefit, however, will be to the residents of British Columbia.
Syngrafii, as the pioneer in remote signing, believes these changes, when well implemented and with the right technology solution, will deliver significant benefits and improvements to all the parties involved. These include enhanced time management for law practices, as well as better compliance and stronger protection for Estates and beneficiaries.
Ideally, the technology platform used includes video recording, relies on authentic e-signatures, has a robust audit trial and delivers a locked document with a certificate that flags if it is altered after signing.
The BC Ministry of Justice’s new regulations allow for a variety of documents to be considered but notes that locked documents are preferred. The regulations also require an “electronic presence” which is easily and cost effectively achieved using Syngrafii’s VSR™ or Video Signing Room™.
According to Scott Nettie, Syngrafii’s General Counsel, “Our patented eSignature platform is the only signing platform available inside of a video session, which gives me the comfort, as a lawyer, that practitioners and testators will be protected with a one source and complete record of the will execution. It is very exciting to see a Canadian jurisdiction keeping up with technology for the benefit of its residents. We here at Syngrafii encourage other jurisdictions to follow B.C.’s lead in this regard.”
Syngrafii’s iinked Sign™ eSignatures and VSR™ offer the full benefits of the next generation of eSignatures fully integrated into a recorded video file. This file is stored and can be downloaded. iinked Sign™ captures the biometrics of traditional handwriting, does not permit proxy signatures and is underpinned by a built-in robust audit trail that offers one of the industry’s highest levels of non-repudiation. A recorded VSR™ session in many respects offers better record keeping than a face-to-face signing.
British Columbia Laws:
OIC 541-2021
https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/oic/oic_cur/0541_2021
Bill 21: Wills, Estates and Succession Amendment Act, 2020 (“Bill 21”)
https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/bills/billsprevious/5th41st:gov21-3
About Syngrafii
Syngrafii provides a suite of next generation eSignature tools that deliver the security of ink and paper globally, with a range of fully compliant solutions. Syngrafii's patented video signing and eSignature solutions deliver a connected world where people, enterprise and government can immediately process original documents, signatures, and transactions across digital channels anywhere, anytime, in multiple languages. For more information visit https://www.syngrafii.com/
Syngrafii has over 45 granted and pending applications for its pioneering e-Signature iinked Sign™, robotic LongPen®, and Video Signing Room™ technologies. The patented Syngrafii VSR™ all-in-one electronic signing solution enables compliant signing, witnessing, notarization and secure storage of documents in a live video-conferencing session that accommodates multiple document signers. VSR™ preserves the biometric protection and identity certainty of a traditional signature, mitigates the risk of fraudulent behaviour, provides enhanced consumer protection, and supports businesses’ increased technology needs for remote collaboration.
Connect with Syngrafii: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter
Syngrafii Contact
John Gruetzner
Media Contact
Michele McDermott-Fox