Changing a Will
It is very important that you should keep your will updated to reflect any changes in your personal circumstances. If, for example, you get married or divorced, or if you have children, your will should be updated to ensure that your assets are still passed to the right people.
Amendments cannot simply be made to an existing will. There are two options:
- make a codicil to the will
- make a new will
Change a Will with a Codicil
A codocil is an amendment to an existing will.
Any codicil must be signed by the same person who wrote the original and witnessed in the same manner. It does not, however, need the same witnesses (although they need to meet the same criteria).
A codicil is typically used to make a minor change to a will. For more complex changes, a new will is usually a stronger option.
Destroy a Will
Be careful when destroying a will. Ideally, the document should be burnt or shredded and then disposed of. Sending instructions for a will to be destroyed is not enough and will not stand up in court.
It is good practice to start a will with a clause revoking all previous wills.
Make a New Will
When making a new will, it is good practice to destroy your old will, as it will no longer be of value anyway (and could lead to later confusion).
If you wish to make anything more than minor changes to your will, it can be a good idea to start a new will. You will have to get the document witnessed and stored afresh, but this is still often the cleanest way.