What You Need To Know
Amending and Revoking Your Will
You can make changes to your will or revoke your will at any time. There are, however, some very important rules to follow.
One way to make changes to a will is to make a codicil, which is an amendment to a will. Another way is to make an entirely new will, which revokes and takes precedence over any older wills. A codicil is a separate document and must be signed and witnessed just like a regular will. Because of these formalities, it is usually easier just to make a new will.
Be sure not to make any changes or markings on your will after it has been witnessed and signed. This is absolutely vital. If you cross out a person's name or add writing to a will that has already been signed, you risk making the whole will invalid.
To revoke a will without making a new one, all you have to do is intentionally tear it up, deface it, burn it or destroy it. If this is done accidentally, then the will is not revoked.
An old will cannot be revived once it has been revoked. If you make a new will (which revokes all prior wills) and then decide that you like your old will better, you would need to make a whole new will that replaces the new one and mimics the old one. Otherwise, all old wills are invalid.
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