Codicils and making changes to a Will

Wondering how to make changes to your Will? This is a very common question as people go through various life events that bring about changes to their financial situation.

You cannot amend your Will after it has been signed and witnessed. The only way you can change a Will is via a codicil or to rewrite your Will.

Codicil to your Will vs making a new Will

There are many instances where you should consider a new will or updating your current Will. These include:

if it has been more than five years since your last Will;
you have bought a new house;
birth of a child;
death of an executor;
you get married or enter into a civil partnership (this automatically invalidates a Will); or
you go through a divorce or dissolution.

It is advisable to create a new Will if you wish to make substantial amendments or multiple changes to your Will to cover the instances above or add new beneficiaries.

A codicil is a legal document that acts as a supplement to your Will. This allows you to make minor changes to your Will without having to rewrite the original document. A codicil can amend, add or revoke parts of a Will. A codicil is signed in front of witnesses in the same way as a Will and then stored with your Will.

Life can be unpredictable, circumstances change, and a codicil is a great way to make minor amendments such as removing or adding an executor. The benefits of a codicil are that is it quick and cheaper. However, you need to ensure it is stored with your Will in a secure location to ensure that it isn’t missed by your executors. In addition, if you make more than one it can cause confusion for your executors.