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Will Reviews & Updates

Life changes — your will should keep up. Codicils for small changes, full re-writes for major life events, all on fixed fees.

When should you review your will?

A will isn’t something you write once and forget about. It’s a snapshot of your wishes at a particular moment, and those wishes — or the people they affect — change over time. As a rough guide, every will should be reviewed at least every five years, and immediately whenever something significant changes in your life.

The most common life events that trigger a review include:

  • Marriage — usually revokes any earlier will automatically, leaving you intestate unless the will was specifically made “in contemplation of marriage”.
  • Divorce or separation — doesn’t revoke your will but treats the ex-spouse as if they’d died, often producing unintended results.
  • Birth or adoption of children or grandchildren you’d like to provide for.
  • Death of a beneficiary — particularly if you didn’t name a substitute.
  • Moving house — especially if your will mentioned a specific property by address.
  • Significant change in assets — inheritance, lottery win, redundancy, or business sale.
  • Falling out with an executor or beneficiary.
  • Changes in tax law — particularly inheritance tax thresholds and reliefs.
Will Reviews & Updates

Codicil or full re-write?

For small changes — updating an executor, adding a small specific gift, removing a deceased beneficiary — a codicil is the most cost-effective option. A codicil is a short legal document that sits alongside your existing will and modifies specific clauses without rewriting the whole thing. It needs to be signed and witnessed in the same way as a will.

For larger changes — a new spouse, a new family structure, adding a trust, or changing the residue of your estate — a full re-write is usually quicker, clearer and only marginally more expensive. We’ll advise honestly on which approach is right at the consultation. As a rough rule, if you need more than two codicils to an existing will, a fresh will is probably the better choice.

Updating wills drafted by other firms

You don’t need us to have written your original will to update it — we regularly review and update wills drafted by solicitors, banks, and other will writers. We’ll read the existing document, identify any issues or out-of-date provisions, and quote a fixed fee for either a codicil or a fresh will, whichever you prefer.

Will Reviews & Updates advice

What does a will review cost?

The initial review consultation is free, whether or not you decide to proceed with changes. We’ll read your existing will, talk through your circumstances, identify anything that needs updating and explain your options. There’s no pressure to make changes if you don’t need to.

If you do go ahead, our fees are:

  • Codicil: £75 (or £125 the pair for couples).
  • Full re-write of a single will: £85 for existing Will Guard clients, £95 for new clients.
  • Full re-write of mirror wills: £140 for existing clients, £160 for new clients.
  • Complex re-write (adding trusts or major restructuring): quoted as a complex will at the consultation.
Estate planning

Our free five-year review reminder

Once you’re a Will Guard client, we’ll send you a friendly reminder every five years inviting you to book a free review. There’s no pressure and no charge unless you decide to make changes — the reminder is simply a nudge to think about whether your will still reflects what you want. Around half of our clients take us up on it; the other half tell us nothing’s changed and put it back on the shelf for another five years.

If your circumstances change between reviews, please get in touch any time. A short phone call costs nothing and may save your family a great deal of distress later. We’d much rather hear from you than have you assume you should “wait until the next review”.

What about LPAs?

Lasting Powers of Attorney don’t need updating in the same way that wills do — they remain valid for life unless you actively revoke them. But they should be reviewed if your attorneys’ circumstances change — they’ve died, fallen out with you, moved abroad, or are simply no longer the right people for the job. We can talk you through the options at the same review consultation.

Common questions

Frequently asked

Will my old will still be valid after I marry?

Almost certainly not — marriage revokes any earlier will under the Wills Act 1837 unless the will was specifically made “in contemplation of marriage”. We strongly recommend a new will before or shortly after marriage.

How does divorce affect my will?

Your will isn’t revoked, but your former spouse is treated as having died on the date of decree absolute. This often leads to unintended outcomes — for example, if you named your ex as executor and main beneficiary, the will may pass everything to whoever you named as substitute, or to charity, or to no one at all.

Can I just write changes on my existing will?

No — never write on, attach to, or otherwise mark your original will. Any visible alteration or attachment can invalidate the entire document. Always use a properly drafted codicil or a new will.

How quickly can a codicil be done?

Most codicils are turned around within a week from the free review meeting to the signing visit. We can prioritise urgent cases, particularly after a sudden bereavement or diagnosis.

Related services

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Free, no-obligation consultation in your home or by video. Fixed-fee wills from £95.

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