Will MOT (Review and Update)

Last verified: 20 January 2026 (England & Wales)

Most people sign a Will, file it away, and assume it will still do the right thing years later.

Then life changes. Relationships evolve. Children grow up. Assets and property ownership change. Tax rules move. Executors move away or become unwell. The Will still exists, but it is no longer clearly aligned to the life you live now.

A Will is only useful if it still fits your family, your assets, and your wishes, and can be used smoothly when it is needed.

Quick-read summary

• A Will MOT checks whether your Will still reflects your wishes, works in practice, and still fits current law and common provider processes.
• If you have a Letter of Wishes, we review it alongside your Will, because they only work properly as a pair.
• We confirm executors, trustees, and (where relevant) guardians are still the right people, and that the way they are appointed is workable.
• We check your assets, property ownership, gifts, and residue to confirm the outcomes still match your intentions.
• You receive a short written report showing a clear outcome: Pass, Advisory, or Fail, plus next steps.
• If anything needs attention, the solution is usually a fresh Will rather than patching an old one.
• If you also have LPAs, it often makes sense to MOT those at the same time. See: LPA MOT: Lasting Power of Attorney Review

Why a Will MOT matters

Your Will is the engine of your estate plan. It controls who inherits, who is in charge, and how your estate is handled after you die.

A Will can be legally valid and still be a poor fit for your life now. That is where problems start. Not always dramatic problems, but real ones: delays, avoidable arguments, tax inefficiency, gifts that no longer make sense, and outcomes that do not match what you would choose today.

A Will MOT gives you a clear answer, in writing, on whether your Will still works as intended.

Even a clear pass is valuable, because it evidences regular review and gives you confidence that you are not relying on an out-of-date document.

What a Will MOT checks

We review your Will for both legal validity and practical fit.

We cover:

1. Your people

• Are your executors and trustees still the right choices and still able to act?
• If you have children, are guardians still appropriate and realistically available?
• Are replacements in place so the plan still works if someone cannot act?

2. Your assets and outcomes

• Does the Will still cover what you own now, including any new assets or changes in value?
• Do gifts, percentages, and the residue still match your real wishes today?
• Are there any obvious gaps, overlaps, or accidental winners and losers?

3. Your home and ownership

• Is your property ownership consistent with what your Will is trying to achieve?
• If your home is owned jointly, is the legal ownership structure likely to deliver the outcome you expect?
• If there are trust elements, do they still fit your goals and family situation?

4. Trusts and protection (where included)

• If your Will includes trust planning, does it still make sense for your needs now?
• Are the trustee powers and practical controls workable?
• Are you relying on “protection” where the reality is more nuanced?

Many “protective” outcomes depend on how the survivor’s life unfolds. Good drafting can offer some protection in the right scenarios, but it is never absolute.

5. Your Letter of Wishes (if you have one)
   A Letter of Wishes is not legally binding, but it is often highly influential. We check that it supports the Will rather than quietly pulling in a different direction.

We look for:

• Consistency with the Will’s structure and logic
• Clear intent on personal items, family sensitivities, and practical wishes
• Anything that is now outdated or likely to cause confusion

How the Will MOT works

1. You share your current Will (and any Letter of Wishes).
2. We run a structured review against your current circumstances and common risk areas.
3. You receive a short written report showing one of three outcomes: Pass, Advisory, or Fail.
4. If changes are recommended, we explain what and why, and outline the simplest next step.

If your Will is fit for purpose, you are done.

If it is not, the cleanest solution is usually a fresh Will that fits your life now and the foreseeable future.

In most cases, replacing a Will is clearer and safer than trying to patch an old document.

What the outcomes mean:

PASS

Your Will looks fit for purpose and workable. We confirm the review date and suggest a sensible next MOT interval.

ADVISORY

Your Will is broadly workable, but we flag improvements, risks, or review triggers to keep on your radar. This is often where a Will is technically fine, but could be sharper, clearer, or more resilient.

FAIL

Your Will is no longer fit for purpose for your needs now, or is likely to cause problems when used. We explain why, and what a replacement Will would need to achieve.

Practical checklist: is it time for a Will MOT?

Consider booking a Will MOT if any of the following are true:

• It has been three to five years since you signed your Will.
• You have married, divorced, separated, or remarried.
• You have had children, become a grandparent, or taken on responsibility for someone vulnerable.
• You have bought or sold a property, changed how you own it, or increased the value of your estate significantly.
• Your executors, trustees, or guardians have moved away, become unwell, or are no longer the right fit.
• You have started a business, closed a business, or changed how your finances are structured.
• You are relying on a Letter of Wishes and you have not looked at it in years.
• You cannot quickly locate your original Will, or you are unsure what your family would find and use in practice.

What to consider before you update anything

A Will MOT is not about “more complex is better”. It is about fit.

It helps to be clear on:

• Who you want to be in charge (executors) and why
• Who you want to benefit, in what proportions, and in what order
• What should happen if a beneficiary dies before you
• How you want to treat children from previous relationships, or unequal family needs
• Whether your home needs special handling (for example to protect the survivor while keeping inheritance on track)
• Whether any gifts are now outdated, unfair, or too rigid
• Whether your Letter of Wishes still supports the plan cleanly

If you have a Will and a Letter of Wishes, review them together. A good Will can be undermined by an outdated Letter of Wishes that quietly points in another direction.

How this links to your LPAs

Your Will only takes effect after death. LPAs are used while you are alive, if you lose mental capacity.

Life events that affect your Will often affect your LPAs too. If you have not reviewed both, you can end up with a plan that is partly modern and partly out of date.

See: LPA MOT: Lasting Power of Attorney Review

For pricing see: Will & LPA MOT (Services & Fees)

Cases

The “still married” Will after separation

A couple separated amicably and assumed they would “sort the paperwork later”. Years passed. One died unexpectedly and the old Will still left everything to the estranged spouse, with no clear plan for the children.

With a Will MOT, the risk was identified early and a clean replacement Will kept inheritance on track.

Without a Will MOT, the family faced a painful and avoidable outcome.

Executors who are no longer capable

A Will named an older relative as sole executor. Over time, health issues made it unrealistic. When the estate needed administering, everything slowed down and decisions became harder to coordinate.

With a Will MOT, the executor chain was modernised with practical replacements.

Without a Will MOT, delays and friction were almost guaranteed.

A Letter of Wishes that quietly contradicts the Will

A parent updated their Will, but forgot the older Letter of Wishes still referenced different intentions for personal items and how funds should be used for the children.

With a Will MOT, both documents were reviewed together and brought back into alignment.

Without a Will MOT, the executors would have been left trying to interpret conflicting signals at an emotionally charged time.

The home that is owned differently than the Will assumes

A Will tried to achieve a particular outcome for the family home, but the legal ownership arrangement meant the home would pass automatically in a way that bypassed the intended structure.

With a Will MOT, the ownership issue was spotted and the planning was reshaped to match reality.

Without a Will MOT, the Will could have delivered an outcome the client never intended.

Old gifts and percentages that no longer feel fair

A Will left a fixed gift to one child and the residue to the others. Years later, the family situation and asset values changed, and what felt “fair” then no longer felt fair now.

With a Will MOT, the plan was updated with a clearer, modern approach.

Without a Will MOT, resentment and disputes were more likely, even in a close family.

Does a Will MOT mean my Will is definitely “perfect”?

It gives you a structured, practical review against common risk areas and your current circumstances. It reduces the chances of unpleasant surprises and gives you a written record of where you stand.

If my Will is “valid”, why would it fail an MOT?

Because validity is not the same as fit. A Will can be legally valid but outdated, unclear, or likely to cause avoidable delay, cost, or conflict.

Do you update Wills or replace them?

In most cases we recommend a fresh Will rather than patching an old one, because it is clearer, safer, and easier to rely on. If a smaller change is genuinely appropriate, we will explain the options and risks.

Do I need to MOT my Letter of Wishes separately?

No. If you have a Letter of Wishes, we review it alongside the Will because they only work properly together.

How often should I MOT my Will?

Most clients review every three to five years, or after a major life event. If anything material has changed, it is worth checking sooner.

Next steps

1. Locate your current Will and any Letter of Wishes, and note any major life changes since you signed them.
2. If you already suspect your Will is outdated, write down the outcome you want now, in plain English.
3. Read the related LPA check if you have LPAs too: LPA MOT: Lasting Power of Attorney Review
4. For pricing and booking, see: Will & LPA MOT (Services & Fees)

This article is general information only, not individual advice.