A Complete Guide to Changing a Will

Whether you receive a large sum of money, have children, lose a loved one or even just have a change of heart, you are within your rights to change the terms of your last will and testament as and when you see fit - but how exactly do you go about it?

In this guide, we will look at the various reasons people might have for changing their will, as well as all of the necessary steps you need to consider to make sure that it stands as a legal document and that your wishes are carried out in the event of you passing away.

Do you need to change your will?

Life circumstances change on a regular basis, and if you don’t update your will from time to time, it might end up falling out of line with what you want to happen to your estate when you die.

Some popular reasons for changing a will include:

• You have children or grandchildren – when a new child enters your family, you may wish to rearrange your will to change who gets what.

• You get married or divorced – a change in your marital status could seriously alter your decision regarding inheritance entitlement. In England and Wales, marriage revokes any wills that were written beforehand.

• One of your beneficiaries dies – if somebody named in your will passes away, you may want to edit your will to give their inheritance to somebody else.

• You become estranged from a family member – family relationships are complicated and, in some cases, you may wish to remove somebody from your will that you no longer associate yourself with.

How to change a will – Changing a will before death

Unfortunately, changing a will isn’t as simple as just scribbling out what you no longer want or jotting down something else at the bottom.

When looking to make significant changes to your will, it often makes more sense to write a new one altogether. However, minor changes can be made by using a document known as a ‘codicil’.

What is a codicil?

A codicil, also known as a codicil to will, is a legal document used to confirm any changes made to a last will and testament. It needs to be signed and witnessed, just like a will, and allows you to make certain changes to a will, rather than completely re-writing it.

Whether you’re changing a few words or adding multiple new sections, a codicil can be used to make a range of changes – however, it is not recommended that any major changes are made using a codicil to will. This is because they can complicate matters when it comes to distributing your estate after death.

Like a will, a codicil must be witnessed and signed. These witnesses do not need to be the same as those who witnessed your original will, but they should not be anybody who is receiving a gift, as this will make their inheritance invalid.

If they are named as a beneficiary in the original will and are not being impacted by the contents of the codicil, their inheritance will not be affected by witnessing the codicil. 

How much does it cost to change your will?

A codicil typically costs less than the price of writing a new will from scratch, but this will depend on what changes you are looking to make. Remember, this isn’t a recommended option for anything other than minor amendments.

Writing a brand new will is almost always the safer option, and with Quick Wills, you can make one for as little as £29.99. Contact us today to see how we can help you update your will. 

Codicil to will – the pros and cons

• When using a professional will-writing service like that offered by Quick Wills, adding a codicil to a will is often a lot cheaper than writing a new one.

• Codicils can get lost if they’re not kept alongside the original will, potentially raising questions about the validity of the will in the future.

• Codicils should not be used to make significant changes to a will as this can cause confusion when distributing your estate.

Writing a new will

As explained above, there are some scenarios in which you should consider writing a whole new will, instead of updating an old one. These scenarios are typically revolved around changes to your direct family and beneficiaries.

You should consider writing a new will if:

• You’re adding a new beneficiary to your will

• You’re removing a beneficiary from your will

• You get married

• You aren’t married but are in a serious relationship

Writing a new will is no different to writing your will for the very first time, and by using our online service it is even easier whilst avoiding the potential errors that can be made using a DIY will kit. 

Any errors made in your new will could mean that it cannot be enforced by law – in this case, your estate would be divided up as per your old will.

When writing a new will, you should clearly state that this will revokes an old will or codicil. You should also destroy any old wills by shredding, burning or simply tearing them up. If a copy of this will is found in-tact when distributing your assets, it might not be clear which one is the latest.

You should also inform your executor that you have updated your will and let them know where you have put it so they will be able to find it when necessary. You do not need to tell them what changes have been made if you do not wish to.

Does a new will cancel an old will?

Yes, but only if it’s legally binding. To make sure that your new will is legally valid, we recommend that you seek help from Quick Wills’ expert legal services to make sure that any changes you make are completely valid.

Writing a will with Quick Wills

Whether you want to write your first will, update an old one or simply make some subtle changes, Quick Wills offers a professional and personal service to ease you through what could be a complicated process.

Our online will-making process allows you to breeze through the initial will-writing procedure, and once it has been reviewed by our team, you will be sent a copy to witness sign and return. If you have any questions during the process or after, our expert team is on hand to help.

Don’t wait around before it’s too late. Click below to start writing your will today or contact us in the form below if you have any questions.