Changing Your Will
You can change or revoke your Will whenever you wish. In fact, if your personal circumstances have changed then it would be wise for you to give serious thought to doing so.
There are essentially three ways in which a Will can be changed:
By writing a new Will
Provided that the correct clause is included, writing a new Will normally has the effect of cancelling all previous Wills. For this reason, you need to be careful if you have made a Will in respect of overseas property that you do not want your new Will to cancel.
If you would like to change your Will by making a new one then you can either simply go to the Your Will web site and start making a new Will, or alternatively contact us either by phoning us on 084 4804 4800 or emailing us at wills@richardnelsonllp.co.uk.
By signing a document called a Codicil
A codicil is a legal instrument used to amend an existing Will. Like a Will, a codicil must be made and signed in a particular way in order for it to be effective.
Commonly a Codicil is used to make minor changes to a Will - for example:
- appointing substitute executor;
- making an additional gift;
- revoking a gift; or
- revoking the appointment of an executor.
You can make a Codicil online if you wish by going to the Changing Your Will section of our Your
To learn more about Codicils and changing your Will go to the Factsheet on our Your
By operation of law
A Will can be changed by operation of law where, for example, after making a Will you get married or enter into a civil partnership – unless the Will you made specifically provides to the contrary. You should also note that if you have divorced or terminated a civil partnership since making the Will then any gifts to your former spouse or civil partner, or any appointment of them as an executor, will fail.
If, therefore, you have married or divorced since making your Will, or if you plan to marry and want to make provision now for your intended spouse, then you should contact us on 084 4804 4800 or email us at wills@richardnelsonllp.co.uk so that we can provide you with the appropriate advice.