How to write a codicil to a will

Making changes to your will

You cannot amend your will after it’s been signed and witnessed. The only way you can change a will is by making an official alteration called a codicil. You must sign a codicil and get it witnessed in the same way as witnessing a will.

An amendment to a will is called a “codicil.” Writing a codicil does not require the help of a lawyer in any part of the United States, but a codicil must be written with the same formalities as a will.

A codicil to a last will and testament does not always have to be typed and witnessed to be considered valid. In a number of regions in the United States, a handwritten or holographic will is an acceptable legal amendment. The definition of will has been interpreted by the courts to include a codicil.

The Codicil cross-refers to the original Will and gives details of the amendments or additions you want to make to it. The Codicil must then be executed in the same way as for the Will – i.e. signed with two witnesses (although the witnesses do not need to be the same people as the witnesses on the Will).

A codicil is very inexpensive, no more than $100. You need to have the original will so that the paragraph in which the person is referenced can be identified in the codicil.

Like the original will, codicils need to be signed by two independent witnesses. These witnesses must be over 18, and can‘t be married or related to anyone mentioned in the will or the codicil.