Is a digital will legally valid?
Usually not on its own. This is the least exciting answer on this site, and it is the one you should read before trusting any app with anything that matters.
Why a stored will is usually not a will
A legal will normally has requirements set by law. Common ones include signing in front of witnesses, having those witnesses sign, and meeting a specific format. The details vary by country and sometimes by state or province, but the shape is similar in most places: a will is a formal document, and the form matters.
A document typed into an app and saved in a database usually meets none of those requirements. It is a file. It may be an accurate expression of what you want. It is generally not, by itself, a legally valid will.
This is why LastKnow says plainly on its homepage that a will stored here is not legally valid by itself. That is not a limitation we are apologising for. It is the honest description of what the service does.
What LastKnow actually is
LastKnow is a check-in service with armed letters. Three things, specifically:
- Letters. Messages you write for named people, released if you stop checking in or on a date you choose.
- Files. A vault for documents you want attached to a letter, such as instructions, account notes, or a copy of something already handled elsewhere.
- Watchers. People you invite to a private status link, optionally with an approximate location.
What it does not do: it does not execute an estate, it does not appoint an executor, and it makes no attempt to satisfy any jurisdiction's requirements for a will.
Where it still helps
Not being a will does not make it useless. A lot of what people want to say to someone is not legal in nature at all.
| You want to | Right tool |
|---|---|
| Leave property to someone in a legally binding way | A lawyer, and a properly executed will |
| Tell someone what you would have wanted, in your own words | LastKnow, or any letter you write |
| Give someone the notes to find accounts you have already set up properly | LastKnow, as a supporting document |
| Make sure a specific person is contacted if you go quiet | LastKnow |
| Name a guardian for your children | A lawyer. This has to be legally effective. |
The pattern: anything that needs legal force belongs with a lawyer. Anything that is a message, an instruction, or a way of being reachable belongs with a service like this. Many people use both.
Questions worth asking a lawyer
If you are getting a will drawn up, these are the things people most often get wrong. Take them to a professional rather than guessing.
- What makes a will valid where I live, and what witnesses are needed?
- Does anything about my situation make a simple will insufficient?
- If I keep instructions in an app, how should those reference the will without contradicting it?
- What happens to digital accounts and files, and should they be covered separately?
- Do I need to revisit this when things change?
Where this is going
Plenty of services work with legal providers so their users can get a properly formed will while keeping the softer parts, like letters and instructions, in a place that suits them. We think that is the right division of labour, and we are looking at it.
For now the position is simple. If you need a will, go and get one. If you need someone to get a letter from you if you go quiet, that part we can do.
Last updated: 2026-09-17