How to Change a Will

New additions

Many states have provisions for what are called “after born children,” children or grandchildren born after a will has been executed, taking the share that pre-born children get and dividing it equally among all children in existence when the will is probated. Despite this, it is better to create a new will if you have a new child or grandchild you would like to leave something to. If you have a new baby, you will want a new will so that you can name a guardian for that child, should you die while your child is a minor. Stepchildren do not automatically inherit from a stepparent, so if you become a stepparent and would like to leave something to a stepchild you’ll need to revise your will.

Other changes

There are other situations that should prompt you to revise a will. Should any of your beneficiaries pass away, the will should be revised. If your executor dies, you should also update your will. If there is a change in your financial situation it is a good idea to review your will. For example, your will might leave your home to your daughter, but if you have sold that home and now live in rental unit, your daughter stands to inherit nothing unless you update it. If you obtain unique or valuable new assets (such as meaningful jewelry or a valuable painting) you may wish to update your will to leave the item to a specific person.

Revoking a will

If you are wondering how to change a will, the safest and most thorough way to make changes to a will is to make a new one. You must also revoke the old will. To revoke a will, you include a written statement in your new will that you revoke all previous wills and codicils previously made by you. Copies of the old will should be destroyed once the new will is in effect so that they can never be mistaken for a current will. Your new will must be executed and signed according to state law and then becomes the only valid will.