You & Your Family
You & Your Property
You & Your Business
Has it been 5-7 years since you made your will?
Patrice is always available for me, she is very patient, helpful & efficient. She explains things very clearly & gives excellent advice.
We advise our clients to review their wills every 5–7 years and to always review their Wills after major life events such as purchasing property, marriage or civil partnership, starting a family or relationship breakdown.
You cannot update or alter your will by simply writing on it yourself. Any alterations will be assumed as having been made after the Will was executed and therefore would not be valid.
There are two ways in which you can change your Will:
- You can make an amendment in a separate document which is called a codicil. The codicil needs to be signed and witnessed in the same way that a will is.
- Alternatively, you can write a new will. The new Will should state that it revokes all previous Wills and codicils. Once you have completed your new Will you should destroy your old Will and any old codicils.
Our general advice is that if you are making a significant amendment to your Will it is better for you to make a new will rather than making a codicil.
If you are contemplating contesting a will please do not hesitate to get in touch with our probate department by emailing patrice.lawrence@tvedwards.com or calling us on 020 3440 8000.
Frequently Asked Questions
I already have a Will, do I need to revoke it if I make a new one?
The new Will, if properly drafted will automatically revoke an earlier Will.
I have just got divorced, do I need to update my Will?
Almost certainly. If you are divorced, the Will itself remains valid but all the gifts to your former spouse or civil partner become invalid and if not addressed could result in a partial or full intestacy arising.
