Nearly one in five wills returned to Discovery for secure storage contained signing errors that the company said would affect their validity, according to its analysis of client data from September 2025 to August 2026.
The errors ranged from missing or inconsistent signatures and invalid witnesses to signing in the wrong place or using a digital signature where a wet-ink signature was required.
The findings point to a gap between having a will drafted and ending up with a valid, retrievable document. Six in 10 clients outside Discovery’s Vitality Money programme who remained in the signing process had not yet returned their wills, while clients linked to advisers completed the process about 22% faster than those without a linked adviser.
“A will is only effective if it is correctly drafted, properly signed and available when the time comes,” said Harry Joffe, the head of legal services at Discovery Life. “The estate-planning journey, therefore, does not end when a document is drafted. It ends when the client has completed the signing process and securely stored it.”
Quality checks catch signing errors before storage
Discovery did not disclose the number of records included in its analysis, saying only that it covered a sufficiently large number to provide what the company regarded as a robust view of the reported trends and behaviours.
About 18% of the wills returned to Discovery for storage contained signing errors. The company said the errors identified in its quality checks would affect the validity of the will.
Besides missing signatures, signatures in the wrong place, and problems with witnesses, Discovery encountered wills on which clients had initialled instead of signing in full. It also found inconsistent signatures and the use of digital signatures where wet-ink signatures were required.
When an error is identified, Discovery contacts the client, explains what must be corrected, and guides the client through signing the will again.
If the client does not complete the correction, the will remains at risk of being invalid. The checks therefore form part of Discovery’s process for identifying execution errors before the document is placed in storage.
Discovery cannot estimate the prevalence of signing errors among wills that are not returned because it has not had an opportunity to inspect those documents.
No fixed cut-off for outstanding wills
Discovery regards a will as outstanding once it has been sent to the client for signature but has not been returned or otherwise confirmed as completed.
There is no fixed cut-off after which a will can no longer be returned. Some clients complete the process quickly, while others require further assistance and reminders. Discovery said the journey from drafting to secure storage can take as little as 24 hours.
However, six in 10 clients without Vitality Money who remained in the signing journey had not yet returned their wills.
Discovery may have a record showing that the document was sent or downloaded, or the client may have reported signing it. Because some of this information is self-reported, the company cannot always determine whether an unreturned will remains unsigned, has been signed incorrectly, or has been signed correctly and retained by the client.
The six-in-10 figure does not therefore mean that these clients will never return their wills. Nor does it establish that all their wills are unsigned or invalid. It identifies clients whose wills had not been returned to Discovery for verification and storage, and the company cannot always determine the status of those documents from its records.
Discovery uses email, SMS, WhatsApp messages, and targeted telephone calls to help clients complete the process.
During a media briefing on 14 September 2026, Discovery Life deputy chief executive Gareth Friedlander used his own experience to illustrate how clients can lose momentum after receiving a drafted will. He recalled completing the consultation and drafting process but delaying the signing after his working day continued and witnesses were not immediately available.
Advisers can monitor where clients get stuck
Discovery’s data indicates that advisers may help clients move from drafting to completion.
Adviser-linked clients completed the process about 22% faster than clients who did not have a linked adviser.
Discovery measured the time from the start of the will-drafting process until the correctly signed document was received, validated, and stored. It did not disclose the average completion times for the two groups.
Advisers are provided with information showing where their clients are in the signing journey. This enables them to identify clients who may need help completing the formalities or returning the document. Their follow-up supplements the reminders and guidance provided directly by Discovery Wills and Trust Services.
In response to a question during the briefing about advisers following up on associated wills, Friedlander agreed that this formed part of the advice process.
Higher completion among Vitality Money clients
Discovery also found higher completion and storage rates among clients participating in Vitality Money.
About 54% of Vitality Money clients completed and stored their wills, compared with about 39% of clients who were not participating in the programme.
Discovery expressed this as a 37% relative difference. The reported completion rates differ by about 15 percentage points.
For this analysis, completing the journey means progressing through will drafting, signing, and secure storage.
Clients can receive 10 000 Vitality Money points when they correctly sign and store their Discovery will. Discovery’s rationale is that the benefit of estate planning may be realised only much later, whereas the points provide an immediate reward for completing the process.
The analysis compared Vitality Money and non-Vitality Money clients over the same reporting period. It was not a before-and-after measurement of the same client population following the introduction of the incentive.
The figures therefore show that Vitality Money participation was associated with a higher completion and storage rate. They do not, on the information provided, isolate the effect of the points incentive from other possible differences between the two client groups.
Estate Preserver cover starts before the will is returned
Discovery said its Estate Preserver is activated before it receives confirmation that the associated will has been signed. The product covers qualifying executor, property-conveyancing, and testamentary-trustee fees and provides specified cash benefits following death.
If a valid will cannot be located, the cash benefits remain payable under the policy terms. Discovery said 50% of the premiums paid, less any PayBacks already received, is refunded where the Fee Indemnity Benefit cannot apply.
