What Missouri’s law actually does
Missouri’s statute makes an electronic will a will “for all purposes,” provided it meets core formalities (readable as text when signed; testator’s signature; two witnesses physically or electronically present within a reasonable time). It also validates electronically executed estate planning documents beyond wills — including powers of attorney, advance directives, trusts, beneficiary deeds — and permits certified paper copies to satisfy “original” requirements in court. The law clarifies revocation rules for e-wills and presumes revocation if a signed e-will or certified copy cannot be found after death. Finally, it expressly supersedes ESIGN in limited ways and allows courts to compel disclosure of digital assets to retrieve an e-will from an online account. Effective date: August 28, 2025. Missouri Senate
California’s head start: a legal blueprint families already use
California recognized the reality of digital lives nearly a decade ago by enacting the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (Cal-RUFADAA), effective January 1, 2017, codified at Probate Code §§ 870–884. Cal-RUFADAA lets a designated fiduciary access certain digital assets, subject to a three-tier priority system:
