A will can be perfectly drafted on the day you sign it, yet become less suitable as your life, family and finances change. If you are asking when should you update your will, the practical answer is: whenever a major change could affect who inherits, who takes responsibility, or how the assets you have worked hard to build are protected.
For business owners and property investors, this is not simply about replacing an old document. A review is an opportunity to check that your personal wishes, property arrangements and business succession plans still work together. Small omissions can create uncertainty, delay and avoidable pressure for the people you leave behind.
When should you update your will after a life change?
There is no fixed legal rule requiring you to update a will every few years. However, reviewing it at least every three to five years is sensible, even where nothing obvious has changed. You should also arrange a review promptly after a significant life event.
Marriage or civil partnership
In England and Wales, getting married or entering a civil partnership usually revokes an existing will. This can leave you without a valid will unless the document was made specifically in contemplation of that marriage or civil partnership.
That point regularly catches people out, particularly those marrying later in life or bringing children and assets from a previous relationship. Without a replacement will, the rules of intestacy decide who receives your estate. Those rules may not reflect the protections you intended for children, a long-term partner, or assets built up before the relationship.
Divorce or separation
Divorce does not automatically cancel your will. In broad terms, once the divorce is final, a former spouse is usually treated as having died before you for the purposes of the will, unless the will says otherwise. That may sound straightforward, but it can leave gaps. A substitute executor may not have been appointed, gifts may fail, and the remaining provisions may no longer make sense.
Separation is different. Until a divorce is finalised, an existing will may still benefit your spouse or civil partner. If your circumstances have changed but the legal process is ongoing, it is wise to seek advice rather than assume your wishes are protected.
Children, grandchildren and changing family relationships
The birth or adoption of a child is an obvious time to review your will. You may want to appoint guardians, set out how funds should be managed while children are young, or ensure an inheritance is held in trust rather than paid outright at 18.
It is equally sensible to review matters when grandchildren arrive, when an adult child becomes vulnerable, or when family circumstances become more complicated. A carefully structured will can make provision fairly while taking account of individual needs. It can also reduce the risk of misunderstandings between siblings or between families from different relationships.
Property changes can alter your inheritance plan
A new home, a buy-to-let purchase, a sale, or a change in how property is owned should prompt a will review. Property is often the largest part of an estate, and the way it is legally held can affect what happens on death.
For example, property held as joint tenants normally passes automatically to the surviving owner, regardless of what your will says. Property held as tenants in common can pass under your will instead. Neither arrangement is automatically right for every family. The appropriate choice depends on matters such as children from a previous relationship, the need to protect a share of the property, and wider inheritance planning.
Property investors should also revisit their will when their portfolio expands or changes. A will written before the purchase of several rental properties may not reflect the scale of responsibility facing executors, the intended beneficiaries, or the potential need for trust planning. If a property is owned through a company, the shares in that company also need to be considered alongside the property itself.
Business ownership is a key reason to review your will
A business can be a valuable family asset, but it can also be difficult to deal with if there is no clear succession plan. If you have started a business, bought shares, taken on a business partner or significantly increased the value of your company, your will should be reviewed.
Your executors may need authority and practical guidance to deal with business interests. You may want the business to pass to a family member, be sold, or continue under the control of a co-owner. Those wishes need to work alongside company articles, partnership agreements, shareholder agreements and any insurance arrangements. A will cannot override every business document, so a joined-up review matters.
For a small business owner, leaving company shares equally to several children can sometimes create the very difficulties you hoped to avoid. One child may work in the business while others do not. An alternative arrangement might provide business control to the active child while balancing the inheritance through other assets or life assurance. The right solution depends on the people involved, the business structure and the available assets.
A rise in wealth, or a change in risk, deserves attention
Many people write a basic will when their estate is relatively simple and then do not revisit it as their wealth grows. A growing property portfolio, pension benefits, savings, investments or a successful business can change both the value and the complexity of your estate.
This does not always mean a more complicated will is required. It does mean the plan should be checked for tax efficiency, asset protection and practicality. You may wish to consider whether trusts could help protect an inheritance for children, preserve assets for future generations, or provide for a spouse or partner without losing control of where capital eventually passes.
There are trade-offs. Trusts can provide valuable protection, but they bring responsibilities and should be created for clear reasons rather than as a standard response to every estate. Bespoke advice is especially valuable where there are significant assets, blended families, business interests or concerns about beneficiaries managing money themselves.
Review your executors, guardians and beneficiaries
The people named in your will matter as much as the gifts within it. An executor who was suitable ten years ago may now be elderly, unwell, living abroad or simply no longer the right person for the task. Where an estate includes property or a business, appointing someone with the time, judgement and confidence to deal with administration is particularly important.
You should also reconsider guardians for young children if circumstances have changed. The people you would trust to raise a child may have moved, had children of their own, or reached a different stage of life. Discussing your choice with them can prevent unwelcome surprises later.
Beneficiary changes can be sensitive, but failing to deal with them is often more damaging. If someone has died, if a relationship has broken down, or if you have become concerned about a beneficiary’s circumstances, updating the wording provides clarity when it is most needed.
Do not assume a codicil is always the answer
A codicil is a legal document used to amend an existing will. It can be useful for a small, straightforward change, such as replacing an executor or adjusting a modest gift. However, several codicils can make a will harder to interpret and increase the chance of error.
Where there have been multiple changes, a new will is often cleaner and safer. It should be prepared carefully and signed correctly. Handwritten alterations, crossing out clauses or attaching informal notes can cause serious problems. They may be ineffective, ambiguous, or even raise questions about the validity of the will.
The original signed will should also be stored securely, with executors able to find it when needed. A copy is not always enough for probate purposes, and a well-drafted will cannot help if nobody knows where it is.
Your will is only one part of a wider plan
A will deals with what happens after death. It does not give anyone authority to make financial or health decisions if you lose mental capacity during your lifetime. That is where lasting powers of attorney are essential.
Nor does a will usually control everything you own. Pension death benefits, life policies written in trust, jointly owned assets and some business arrangements can pass outside the will. A proper review considers the full picture so that nominations, ownership structures and estate planning documents do not contradict one another.
If you have made a will but cannot remember when it was last reviewed, that alone is a sensible reason to look at it again. A clear, current plan gives your family practical direction at a difficult time and helps protect the wealth, property and business interests you have worked hard to create.
A personal review with an experienced estate planning adviser can turn an uncertain, outdated document into a plan that reflects your life as it is now – and the legacy you want to leave.