Have You Thought About These 5 Reasons to Update Your Will?

Making a will isn't a one-time event. Your circumstances change over time, and your will should change with them. Here are five key reasons why you might need to update your will.

1. Marriage or divorce

These are probably the most important triggers for updating your will.

Getting married

Marriage automatically cancels any existing will you have. This is the law in England and Wales. If you marry without making a new will, you'll die intestate, which may not reflect your wishes at all.

Getting divorced

When your divorce becomes final, your ex-spouse is treated as if they had died for the purposes of your will. They won't inherit and can't act as executor. However, this might mean your estate goes to someone you didn't intend, so you should still make a new will.

Separation

Unlike divorce, separation has no effect on your will. Your estranged spouse could still inherit everything. If you've separated, update your will immediately.

2. Children and grandchildren

The arrival of children and grandchildren often prompts people to think about their will for the first time. But you should also update an existing will when:

• You have a new child or grandchild
• You want to change how money is divided between children
• Your children reach adulthood (you might want to remove trustees)
• A child has special needs requiring trust arrangements
• Your chosen guardians are no longer appropriate

3. Death of a beneficiary or executor

If someone named in your will dies before you, their gift might fail or pass to someone you didn't intend. Similarly, if an executor dies, your remaining executors might be stretched or you might be left with no one to administer your estate.

Review your will after any bereavement and make changes if needed.

4. Changes to your assets

Your will should reflect what you actually own. Consider updating when:

• You buy or sell property
• You inherit money or assets
• You start or sell a business
• You receive a significant windfall
• Your assets reduce significantly (paying for care, for example)
• You acquire assets abroad

Specific gifts in your will might not work as intended if the asset no longer exists.

5. Your relationships change

People grow apart, fall out, or simply drift away. If your feelings about someone have changed significantly, your will might need to change too. Equally, you might want to add people who have become important to you since you made your will.

Remember that anyone can potentially challenge a will, so if you're making significant changes (especially excluding family members), it's worth explaining your reasons.

How often should I review my will?

As a rule of thumb, review your will every three to five years, even if nothing obvious has changed. Life circumstances evolve gradually, and a regular review ensures your will stays current.

With our lifetime updates feature, you can revise your will whenever you need to — free for your first year, then a low annual subscription. Learn how to change your will step by step. There's no excuse for an outdated will.