How to Change Your Will

Your will is not a document you write once and forget about. Life changes, and your will should keep pace. Whether you have got married, had a child, separated from a partner, or simply changed your mind about who should inherit, updating your will is essential. This guide explains your options and how to go about it safely.

When should you change your will?

There are several life events that should prompt you to review, and usually update, your will:

• Marriage: Getting married automatically revokes any existing will in England and Wales, so you need a new one.
• Divorce or separation: While divorce does not revoke your entire will, it does affect any gifts or appointments relating to your ex-spouse. Once your divorce is final, the will is read as though they had died, so they no longer inherit or act as executor. Separation, however, has no legal effect at all: until you are formally divorced, a separated spouse remains a beneficiary and would still inherit under your existing will. That makes it even more important to review and update your will as soon as you separate from your partner, rather than waiting for the divorce to be finalised.
• Having children or grandchildren: You may want to add them as beneficiaries or appoint legal guardians.
• Death of a beneficiary or executor: If someone named in your will has died, the will needs updating.
• Change of mind: Perhaps you want to leave more to one person, remove a beneficiary, or add a charitable gift.
• Change in financial circumstances: A significant change in your assets may mean your will no longer distributes things fairly or efficiently. Even a general rise in the value of your home or investments can push your estate above the inheritance tax thresholds, so it is worth reviewing your will as your estate grows.

For a more detailed look at common triggers, see our guide on 5 reasons to update your will.

Option 1: Make a new will (recommended)

The simplest and safest way to change your will is to make a completely new one. A new will automatically includes a revocation clause, a statement that cancels all previous wills and codicils. This means everything is contained in one clear, up-to-date document, with no risk of confusion or contradiction.

With our lifetime updates service, making a new will costs you nothing extra. You simply log in, make your changes, submit them for solicitor review, and then print and sign the new will once it is ready.

This is the approach we recommend in virtually every case. It is cleaner, clearer, and less likely to cause problems down the line.

If your circumstances have changed so much that an online will is no longer the right fit, say you now have a business, property abroad, a trust or a more complicated family situation, our solicitor consultation route can draft a bespoke will for you after a one-to-one conversation with a qualified solicitor.

Option 2: Add a codicil

A codicil is a separate document that makes an amendment to an existing will. In the past, codicils were commonly used when rewriting an entire will was expensive or impractical. Today, they are rarely recommended for several reasons:

• Risk of confusion: A codicil is a separate piece of paper that must be stored with the will. If it becomes separated, the will could be administered incorrectly.
• Contradictions: If the codicil is not carefully worded, it can contradict the original will, leading to disputes.
• Witnessing requirements: A codicil must be signed and witnessed with exactly the same formality as a will: two witnesses present, all signing together. If these rules are not followed, the codicil is invalid.

In most cases, making a new will is simpler and safer than adding a codicil.

What you must NOT do

It is important to understand that you cannot informally alter a will. You must not:

• Cross things out
• Write in the margins
• Add sticky notes or annotations
• Use correction fluid

Any of these could invalidate part or all of your will. If someone finds a will with handwritten changes, it can create serious doubt about your intentions and lead to expensive legal disputes.

How often should you review your will?

As a general rule, you should review your will every three to five years, even if nothing obvious has changed. It is also wise to review it after any major life event: marriage, divorce, birth of a child, death of a beneficiary, or a significant change in your finances.

How to update your will with us

If you made your will with Make a Will, the process is straightforward:

1. Log in to your account
2. Make the changes you need
3. Submit the updated will for solicitor review
4. Once approved, print the new will and sign it properly with two witnesses

Thanks to our lifetime updates, there is no charge for this. You can change your will as many times as you need to.

And if your circumstances have grown more complex than an online update can comfortably handle, you can switch to our solicitor consultation route for a bespoke will drafted by a solicitor instead.

What to do with your old will

Once your new will has been properly signed and witnessed, you should destroy the previous signed, dated and witnessed version of your will, along with any copies you are keeping at home. Tear them up or shred them. Keeping old wills can cause confusion: if two documents are found after your death, it may not be immediately clear which one is valid, leading to delays and potential disputes.