Changing a will
Contents
This information applies only to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Changing your will
Once a will has been written, you may wish to change it for one of the following reasons:
- To update it
- To cancel it
Updating a will
You should consider updating your will in the following circumstances:
- If your marital status changes
- If you sell anything that is left as a specific gift in your will
- If you buy something and want to leave it as a specific gift in your will
- If you adopt or have any more children
- If you move to live outside the UK (you are likely to need a totally new will in your new country of residence)
- If the person you appointed as the guardian for your children needs to be changed
- If your executors need to be changed
- If you change your mind about the instructions contained in your will
For more information about updating your will see: When to update your will.
Cancelling a will
You may cancel a will in three ways:
- Making a subsequent will containing a revocation clause or which contradicts the first will
- By getting married or entering into a civil partnership, unless that will was made in contemplation of that marriage/civil partnership and you stated that the will was to continue to be valid after that marriage/civil partnership
- Physically destroying the will
If it is the person's intention to cancel their existing will, it is best to make the position absolutely clear in the new will or codicil. A codicil is a document which alters the terms of an existing will.
For more information on cancelling a will see: Cancelling a will.
What is the law guide
The Desktop Lawyer law guide aims to present the law to you in a comprehensive yet jargon-free and easy-to-read format. Our law guide is constantly kept up to date with changes in business and family law by our team of in house solicitors, and includes information across all the legal jurisdictions in the UK.
Our law guide is free to use. Where we provide documents related to this area of law, or where they may help you with any legal issue in this area, they will be listed to the right of this message.