I already have a Will - how do I change it to leave a gift to you?

If you want to leave a gift but you’ve already made a Will, that’s no problem – there are a couple of ways you can change it.

1. Write a new Will

The simplest way is to write a new Will. Once written, any Wills made by that person in the past become void. In fact, most Wills will start by reciting that you’re writing a Will and that you’re revoking previous Wills.

2. Codicils

The other way is to write a codicil, which is a document used to make changes to an existing Will.

It’s used as a way to make simple amendments like adding a charity, changing a gift amount or adding an executor. This is all quite straightforward but problems can occur if you ever want to cancel the Will in the future.

When you cancel a Will that contains a codicil, the codicil does not get canceled automatically, so when you write a new Will it can create inconsistencies and legal problems. To avoid this, make sure that any new Will clearly states that you are revoking all Wills and codicils previously made.

You can write a new Will or write a codicil with a professional advisor.