Published on: 14th April 2025

How old is your Will?

Many people drift along in life under the misapprehension that having finally putting a Will in place (probably after much procrastination) that is that. No more worrying about making a Will.  They’ve made a Will and it will never need to be looked at again until they have shuffled off this mortal coil. In other words, many people believe their Will is set in stone.

However, the fact of the matter is by not regularly reviewing your Will you can leave any number of potential pitfalls for your family to deal with;

Executor Issues

Your nominated executor may no longer be able or willing to fulfil their role or they may have even passed away. If your Will doesn't reflect a substitute executor, it could cause delays or complications in handling your estate.

Outdated Wishes

As life goes on circumstances can change. We not only get married and divorced but so do our children. Relationships are not the only thing that can change – addresses and names do too. Are you still on speaking terms with the friend you planned to leave your car to? Even more importantly, have you overlooked the fact that the person you nominated to be the guardian of your children is now not suitable? Failure to keep your Will updated could result in an incorrect, unfair or undesired distribution of your estate.

Changes in Legislation

Laws regarding inheritance, taxes or estate planning may change over time. If your Will doesn’t reflect these changes, it might not be valid or might expose your estate to higher taxes than necessary. What was best advice 20 years ago when you made your Will may not represent best advice now.

Family Dynamics

Relationships can evolve. If your Will is not updated, it might not account for estranged family members or new relationships, new children or new grandchildren. This could lead to disputes that could otherwise have been avoided.

Asset Changes

As you acquire or dispose of assets (property, investments, etc.), your Will may no longer be accurate. Not updating your Will can result in certain assets being left out of the estate plan, causing confusion or legal issues.

Guardianship Concerns

If you have young children and the guardianship clauses in your Will are not reviewed regularly, you may end up with guardians who are no longer suitable or willing to take on the responsibility.

Summary

In a nutshell, regularly reviewing and updating your Will helps ensure that it reflects your current circumstances, wishes, and any legal changes, avoiding potential complications and disputes after your death. After going to the effort of putting a Will in place, why wouldn’t you want to make sure that it always reflects your current wishes?

If you would like to speak with one of our Consultants to discuss any of the issues raised in this article or any other estate planning topic please telephone 01732 868190 or click here.

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If you wish to give instructions or require general information about our Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, or Trusts then we will carry out a telephone or Zoom appointment.

owever, if you wish to give instructions to one of our Consultants and you feel that you can only do this at a Face to Face meeting then we are offering, at our Consultant’s discretion, a limited number of Face to Face appointments in most of the areas we normally cover. To see the areas we normally cover please click here.

o arrange an appointment please telephone 01732 868190 or click here.

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