Once you’ve created your last will and testament, you may believe you are finished with this depressing chore. However, over the years, you may find that you need to update or completely redo your will. There are a variety of things that can make this necessary, including marriage or divorce, having children, changing your beneficiaries, and/or selling or buying property. Here are some basic steps to keep in mind when changing your will.
First, you will probably want to find an estate attorney if you don’t currently have one. Estate attorney make certain that all changes are legal and do not invalidate your current will. Be sure you know what kinds of fees the attorney will charge upfront before you go to a meeting, as often, these initial consultations come with a price tag.
Once you’ve found an attorney, you should make a detailed list of all of the changes you wish to make to your will. If there are only one or two minor changes, the attorney will have you create a codicil, which is basically an amendment to your current will. If the changes are fairly extensive or major, you may need to create an entirely new last will and testament. Your estate attorney will be able to advise you on which of these documents are necessary.