Wills FAQs

You can revoke a will any time before death by making a new will, which states that all prior wills are no longer valid. To revoke a will without making a new one, all you have to do is intentionally tear it up, deface it, burn it or destroy it. If this is done accidentally, then the will is not revoked.

What happens if you make a new will (which revokes all prior wills) and then decide that you like your old will better? You need to make a whole new will that replaces the new one and mimics the old one. The old will is invalid and cannot be revived after it has been revoked.

What is a codicil to a will?

One way to make changes to a will is to make a codicil, which is an amendment to a will. However, a codicil must be signed and witnessed just like a will, so it is usually easier just to make a new will.

Be sure not to make changes to your will after it has been witnessed and signed. If you cross out a person's name or add a clause to a will that has already been signed, you risk invalidating the whole will.