Revoke or Amend a Will

It is estimated that over 70 percent of Americans do not have a will, of any type, created to protect their money and property should they pass away. Those that do have a will, of any type, can revoke the will at any point during its existence by doing one of the following: destroying it, burning it, tearing it up, or attaching a piece of paper that says the will is invalid. A person would want to revoke a will because they feel that it is no longer valid or have written a new will, which takes the place of the previous will. If a person were to die with a revoked will and no valid will it would be like they had died with no will at all. If this happens then the intestacy wills laws of the state that person lived in will take effect when it comes to dividing money and property of the deceased.

Amending a Will

During a person’s lifetime, there are various reasons to amend or revoke a will. A will can be amended simply by typing up a new section and attaching it to the will as an amendment. The circumstances of a person’s life change from day to day or from year to year, which can result from a job loss, acquiring a new job, winning the lottery, and acquiring an inheritance and much more. It is recommended that people review and update their will every couple of years. Wills should be reviewed to check for the value of property, the amount of money being left, or whether or not the person named in the will is still living. Others reasons to revoke or amend a will is marriage, divorce, remarriage, having another child, children remarrying or the change of circumstance of a beneficiary.

How to Revoke a Will

Revoking a will is possibly the easiest thing to do when it comes to dealing with wills. Wills are simple to revoke because all that needs to be done is burn them, rip them apart, destroy it or attach a piece of paper that says the will is invalid or void. You have to remember though that these actions must occur intentionally for a will to be revoked. If a will is lost or misplaced it is not deemed revoked or invalid. Instead, to revoke a will that has been misplaced the testator must create a new will and have it notarized.

Obtaining Legal Help

If you or a loved one is interested in revoking a current will, contact a wills and inheritance attorney immediately for expert legal counsel regarding your situation. An attorney will be able to answer all of your questions, help you write a new will, help you invalidate a current will and get the new will notarized and signed in front of witnesses.