Author: Chris Watts — Will Writer, Fern Wills & LPAs
Last verified: 28 October 2025 (England & Wales)
Quick-Read Summary
Your Will is the engine of your estate plan. A Will MOT checks that it still reflects your wishes, meets current legal standards, and can be used quickly when needed. Even a clear pass is valuable because it evidences regular review.
Why a Will MOT matters
Life, assets, and rules change. What worked five years ago can leave gaps today. A structured review gives you certainty that your Will is valid, practical, tax-aware, and findable.
How the Will MOT works
During your MOT we:
- Review legal validity and practical fit.
- Confirm executors, trustees, and guardians can act.
- Check assets, gifts, property ownership, and residue against your intentions.
- Highlight tax opportunities and risks.
- Provide a short written summary: Pass, Advisory, or Fail.
If everything is fit for purpose, you are done. If updates would improve protection or clarity, we explain what and why, then outline simple next steps.
Typical MOT outcomes
✅ Pass — good to go
Your Will is valid, current, and ready to use.
- We record the review date and set your chosen reminder cycle. Regular reviews create useful evidence of good housekeeping if the Will is ever scrutinised.
🟠 Advisory — valid, but attention recommended
Your Will still works, but minor changes or housekeeping are sensible. Examples:
- You moved address and the Will needs updated references, but core gifts still work.
- A class clause already covers a new grandchild, yet naming conventions could be clearer.
- One of several executors is unavailable, but others remain able to act.
❌ Fail — not fit for purpose
Your Will now risks the wrong outcome. Examples:
- New property not captured by gifts or residue.
- Most executors cannot act, or no guardians for children under 18.
- Significant pets you wish to provide for are omitted.
- Signing or witnessing defects, or terms no longer reflect your family structure.
When to book a Will MOT
- After any significant life event.
- Three to five years after signing a Will.
- Annually thereafter, using our light-touch check to confirm nothing material has changed.
Practical checklist
- Locate the original Will and any Letters of Wishes.
- Compile an asset inventory: property, vehicles, investments, debts, insurance. Use your existing Life & Legacy Logs (Property, Finance) or ask us for copies.
- Confirm executors and guardians are willing, available, and suitable.
- Note any new property, businesses, gifts, or family circumstances that may affect distribution.
- Confirm where the signed original is stored and how it will be accessed.
Linked services
- Document Storage and Insurance for safe, insured access to originals.
- Letters of Wishes to add context and guidance without changing the Will.
- Executor Support so your chosen people have professional help when the time comes.
Example scenarios
Pass (but only just)
A client’s Will names two executors who are both available. A recent move requires updated address notes, but gifts and residue still capture all assets. Outcome: pass with a diary note and address housekeeping.
Advisory
A new grandchild arrived. The Will leaves “to my children and their issue equally,” so the grandchild is already covered. We recommend clarifying names in a Letter of Wishes and updating contact details. Outcome: valid, minor improvements advised.
Fail
The client purchased a second property and intended it for a specific child, but the Will neither gifts it nor captures it in residue in the way intended. Guardianship for a younger child is also missing. Outcome: replacement Will be recommended with clear property instructions and guardianship provisions.
When Should You Review Your Will?
A Will should evolve as your life does. Even if your Will still feels “recent,” it may already be out of date. Review it after any of the following events:
- Marriage or Civil Partnership – In most cases, a marriage automatically revokes any previous Will. You’ll need a new one to remain valid.
- Divorce or Separation – Your former spouse or partner may still inherit unless your Will is updated.
- Buying or Selling Property – A new home or the sale of an old one changes your estate’s structure and may alter inheritance tax positions.
- Children or Grandchildren – You may want to add guardians, set age conditions for inheritance, or make gifts to new family members.
- Bereavement – If a beneficiary, executor, or guardian named in your Will has died, the Will may no longer function as intended.
- Change in Finances – Inheritances, business ownership, or significant savings shifts can affect tax allowances and the size of each gift.
- Relocation – Moving house (especially abroad or between England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland) can alter which laws apply to your Will.
- Health or Care Changes – If health circumstances change, you may wish to include guidance for care costs, medical wishes, or care-linked trusts.
- Family Dynamics – Estrangement, new relationships, or reconciliation may require updating who benefits and how.
- Time Passing – Even without major events, a Will should be reviewed every three to five years to ensure it still matches your intentions.
Common Mistakes When Updating a Will.
- Relying on handwritten changes — Handwritten amendments (“codicils”) can invalidate your Will if not executed correctly.
- Forgetting to update executors — Executors may move away, die, or lose capacity. Always check they remain suitable and willing.
- Not signing correctly — Incorrect witnessing remains one of the most common causes of invalid Wills.
- Keeping conflicting versions — Outdated copies can cause confusion or disputes. Destroy older drafts after replacement.
- Leaving the original at home — Fire, flood, or loss of the original document can make the Will unusable. Professional storage ensures protection and registration.
For more details, see our guide: Secure Will Storage and Insurance.
Frequently asked questions
If my Will passes, do I get my MOT fee back?
If your car passed it's MOT, you wouldn't ask for your money back. An expert review takes time, diligence, and carries professional risk. The value is the assurance and record of a clean bill of health. See the Services & Fees page for the redeemable arrangement toward new instructions within your time window.
Can I check this myself first?
You do not need to, and most people cannot see technical issues or changes in guidance. We do provide a light annual checklist to help you decide if a full MOT is sensible now.
How often should I review?
After major life events, at three to five years from signing, then annually with a light check and a full MOT if anything material has changed.
Do I need to be an existing client?
No. We review Wills written elsewhere and will tell you honestly if no work is needed.
Planning and reminders
We can place you on our reminder service at your chosen interval. You will receive a short checklist and a prompt to confirm whether anything material has changed since the last review.
Next steps
If you want certainty that your Will will work when needed, book a Will MOT. Full details and the redeemable review arrangement are set out in Services & Fees.
