Can I update my Will without rewriting it?

Last verified: March 2026 (England & Wales)

If you already have a signed Will and want to change it, the practical answer is usually no: the safer option is normally a full review and a fresh Will, not patching the old one.

In England and Wales, there is a formal legal mechanism for changing a signed Will. That is called a codicil. Fern Wills & LPAs does not draft codicils and does not recommend them as the normal route. In practice, a proper review usually shows that what looks like one small change often sits alongside other issues, risks or outdated wording that are better dealt with in one clean rewrite.

If you want to know whether your current Will still works, the next step is to ask us to review your existing Will. Sometimes the answer is quick reassurance. Sometimes a fuller Will MOT is sensible. Often, if change is needed, a fresh Will is the cleaner answer.

The biggest risk is not the one change you have noticed. It is the other changes you have not.

Quick-read summary

• You cannot safely “just alter” a signed Will by handwriting on it or treating it like an editable document.
• The legal term for a formal amendment is a codicil, but Fern Wills & LPAs does not draft codicils.
• What seems like one simple update often affects executors, gifts, residue, guardians, trusts, tax or the practical logic of the whole Will.
• A full review is usually the sensible starting point, especially if the Will was made some time ago.
• In most cases, a fresh Will is clearer, safer and easier for your family to rely on later.
• If your current Will was originally prepared by Fern Wills & LPAs, you are welcome to ask whether any current review or rewrite offer applies.

Why this question matters

A lot of people do not want to “start all over again” with a Will. They think they only need to swap an executor, add a grandchild, remove an old gift or update an address.That sounds simple. Sometimes it almost is. The problem is that Wills are joined-up documents. One change can affect another part of the structure, or expose something else that no longer fits.That is why Fern Wills & LPAs does not treat Will updates as a quick patching exercise. The practical starting point is always to review the whole document against your life now.

Can I just change my existing Will?

Not in the casual way many people mean.You should not write on the original signed Will, add side notes, clip in extra pages or assume that a verbal instruction to family will be enough. A signed Will is a formal legal document. Once it exists, changes must be approached properly.

There is a legal mechanism for amending a signed Will. That is called a codicil. But legal possibility and practical wisdom are not the same thing. Fern Wills & LPAs does not draft codicils because, in real-world practice, they are often a weaker solution than a fresh Will.

A Will can be legally valid and still be the wrong document for your life now.

Why Fern Wills & LPAs does not recommend codicils

The issue is not that codicils do not exist. The issue is that they are usually the less practical route.

Common problems include:

• the client focuses on one visible issue and misses three others
• the old Will may already be outdated in ways that only become obvious on review
• the amendment and the original Will have to be read together
• confusion increases if more than one change is made over time
• the family later has to piece documents together rather than rely on one clean, modern Will
• if the earlier Will was prepared by someone else, you are inheriting the risks and wording choices of that older document

For Fern, the question is not “Can this be patched?”

It is “What is the cleanest, safest document for the client and the family to rely on later?”

Most of the time, that means a fresh Will.

When a fresh Will is usually the right answer

A rewrite is usually the better answer where any of the following apply:

• your executors or guardians need changing
• beneficiaries have changed, or family circumstances have moved on
• you have married, divorced, separated or entered a new long-term relationship
• children or grandchildren have been born since the Will was signed
• a named person has died, lost capacity or is no longer the right choice
• property ownership has changed
• your estate is now worth materially more or less than it was
• the original Will contains old fixed gifts that no longer feel fair or workable
• you have made one change in your head, but there may be others once the document is properly reviewed
• the Will is old enough that a fresh read-through is sensible anyway

If marriage is relevant, remember that marriage usually revokes an earlier Will unless that Will was written in anticipation of that marriage.

What if it really is only one small change?

Sometimes clients are right. Sometimes it genuinely is one contained issue.

Even then, the sensible first step is still review, not assumption.

That review does not have to be dramatic. Often, a quick look at the current Will and a short conversation about what has changed is enough to tell whether:

• the Will is still broadly sound
• a fuller Will MOT would be sensible
• or the cleanest answer is simply to rewrite it properly

That is a far better process than deciding in advance that the document only needs a “tiny update”.

Common trigger events for a Will review

A Will should be reviewed whenever something important changes in your life or in the structure of the estate.Typical triggers include:

• marriage or civil partnership
• divorce, separation or a second relationship
• children or grandchildren being born
• executors, trustees or guardians no longer being suitable
• buying, selling or restructuring property
• major changes in asset values
• inheritance tax thresholds, planning assumptions or family priorities changing
• the Will simply being old enough that it deserves a fresh look

A review is not wasted work, even if the final answer is “Your Will still looks fine.”

Cases

“It is only an executor change”

A client thought the job was simply to replace one executor who had died. Once the Will was reviewed, it became clear that the substitute choice was not ideal either, one beneficiary clause was now out of date, and the residue wording no longer reflected the family situation. What looked like one simple change was really a wider review point. A fresh Will solved it cleanly.“

The children were not even born then”

A couple had an older Will from before their children were born. They initially asked whether the document could simply be updated. On review, the issue was much wider than adding names. Guardianship, replacement executors, age provisions and practical wording all needed attention. Rewriting the Will was quicker and safer than trying to bolt changes onto the old structure.

"The Will was not that old, but life had moved on”

A client assumed a relatively recent Will could simply be patched. The real issue was that property ownership, family priorities and the intended balance between beneficiaries had shifted since it was signed. The age of the document was not the key point. The fit was. A proper review led to a better outcome than a narrow amendment would have done.

Can I handwrite a change onto my Will?

No. A signed Will should not be treated like an editable working draft. Informal alterations can create confusion and risk. If your Will needs changing, it should be reviewed properly.

What is a codicil?

A codicil is a formal legal document used to amend a signed Will. It has to be executed properly. Fern Wills & LPAs does not draft codicils and does not recommend them as the normal route, because a clean review and rewrite is usually safer.

Do Fern Wills & LPAs ever draft codicils?

No. Our approach is to review the whole Will and, where change is needed, usually recommend a fresh Will instead.

What if I only want to change an executor?

That is one of the most common examples clients give. Sometimes it starts there and ends there. Often it does not. The sensible next step is still to review the whole Will, because executor changes often sit alongside other review points.

What if my Will is only a few years old?

Age on its own does not decide the answer. A newer Will may still be out of date if your family, property, assets or intentions have moved on. Equally, an older Will may still be broadly sound. What matters is whether it still fits your life now.

What if I have married, divorced or had children since signing my Will?

That is exactly the sort of change that should trigger a review. Marriage is particularly important because it usually revokes an earlier Will unless that Will was made in anticipation of that marriage.

Do I need a full Will MOT every time I have a question?

Not necessarily. Sometimes a short review of your existing Will is enough to work out the next step. If the issues look wider, a fuller Will MOT may then be the sensible route.

Is a rewrite always more expensive than an update would have been?

Not necessarily in practical terms. A rewrite often avoids repeat work, confusion and risk. If your current Will was originally prepared by Fern Wills & LPAs, you are welcome to ask whether any current review or rewrite offer applies. Historically, rewrites of Fern-prepared Wills have often attracted a 25% discount against current list prices, but offers can change.

This article is general information only, not individual advice.

If you’d like help applying this to your circumstances, we can guide you through the options.

Next steps

If you already have a signed Will and want to know whether it still does the job, the next step is to ask us to review your existing Will.From that first review, we can usually tell you whether:

• the Will still looks broadly fit for purpose
• a fuller Will MOT would be sensible
• or a fresh rewrite is the cleaner answer

You can also check our current Services & Fees page for general pricing information.

If your home is your main asset, we will also want to confirm how it is owned, because that can affect what a Will can achieve.

If your current Will was originally prepared by Fern Wills & LPAs, you are welcome to ask whether any current review or rewrite offer applies at the time.