How to Modify Your Will in California

Your will is a crucial estate planning tool that will become of utmost importance when you pass away. Many people have a will executed on their behalf to ensure that their wishes with regard to how their assets are passed along is carried out.

But creating a will years ago or even six months ago might mean that the stipulations inside are now outdated due to changes in tax laws or your life. There are many different ways that a will can be modified, but it is recommended that you consult with a knowledgeable estate planning lawyer for all of them.

You might want to make a new will and include a clause in it that states that you are revoking any prior wills. You should also follow through on this by actually destroying those other wills so that there is no confusion about which one is the right one to apply.

Another way to modify your existing will in Pasadena is to prepare something known as a codicil. This is an amendment that explains that you intend to keep the vast majority of stipulations in your previous will in place while making changes to some portion of the will. These changes must follow specific guidelines, just like a will such that they usually need to be signed, dated, as well as witnessed in the same manner in which the will was. You might also use a personal property memorandum to alter certain portions of your will.

This is a separate document attached to the will that allows the testator to designate that some types of tangible personal property go to a specified beneficiary in Pasadena.

This should also be incorporated via a reference into the will and the memorandum should be dated, signed and written out. Many different reasons might prompt you to update your will. Scheduling a consultation with an experienced estate planning lawyer in Pasadena is strongly recommended.

 

 

 

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