Covid-19 has forced a lot of industries to adapt to a new way of business and the legal industry is no different. Limits to face-to-face contact has forced the development of technologies and laws to allow for remote witnessing of legal documents.
During the pandemic the NSW Parliament introduced temporary legislation to allow for the signing and witnessing of documents via ‘audio-visual link’ (AVL). It proved so successful that the recent passing of the Electronic Transactions Amendment (Remote Witnessing) Bill 2021 has now cemented the temporary measures into law.
AVL witnessing operates by the witness observing the client sign a document in real time over AVL. The witness then confirms having witnessed the signing by the client by either signing the document as soon as practicable after witnessing or signing an exact copy of the document. The witness further endorses the document by specifying the method of AVL signing.
Being a regional firm based in Tamworth and Quirindi and servicing the entire North West region, Everingham Solomons is welcoming this opportunity to better serve our clients. The ‘tyranny of distance’ has long been a frustration and now we are seeing the measures introduced to endure the pandemic producing long-term benefits for our clients.
People living in regional or remote areas, or those that may suffer from illness or mobility problems can now benefit from this choice and flexibility.
Everingham Solomons understands the need for access and flexibility because Helping You is Our Business.
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