Changing your will

Wills can be changed at any time before death. It's a good idea to review your will periodically, especially when important changes occur in your family, such as the birth of a new child or the death of one of your beneficiaries. Making changes to your will by crossing out parts or by adding paragraphs to the end is not a good idea. These types of changes may or may not be effective in altering change your will and can often lead to will contests if they involve any significant change. Codicils (COD-ih-sills), which are formal additions or changes to a portion of your existing will, can also lead to will contests and it is possible that the codicil will not be found after your death. Thanks to computers, making a new will is often not any more expensive than changing your old one will by codicil. Therefore, it's a good idea to make a whole new will and destroy your old one will when you wish to make changes. Following this procedure makes your wishes clear and unambiguous, and can help avoid will contests.