If you have made a Will, that’s a great first step in protecting your estate. But life doesn’t stand still, and neither should your Will, so don’t make the mistake of filing it away and forgetting about it.
Once a Will has been written, many people assume it’s sorted for life. However, the reality is that your Will is just a snapshot reflecting your family, your finances, and your priorities at the time you signed it. As your life and circumstances change, your Will needs to keep up and change with it.
At Bridge McFarland LLP, we’ve been helping families put the right plans in place for decades. We know this isn’t just about paperwork; it’s about looking after the people you love and protecting what matters most.
In this blog, our Wills team highlights 10 key life events that should prompt a Will review (and in many cases, an update).
1. Getting Married or Entering a Civil Partnership
While this one might seem obvious, it catches people out all the time. It is crucial to remember that marriage or civil partnership automatically revokes any previous Will you have made.
The only exception is if your Will was written specifically ‘in contemplation of marriage’ to a named person. Otherwise, once you are married or in a civil partnership, your existing Will becomes invalid. Importantly, if you were to die without updating it, you’d be treated as if you died intestate (meaning the law of intestacy decides who inherits, not you).
Many couples fall into this trap, not realising this until it’s too late. Even if you made your Will a few months before the wedding, you’ll still need a new one after you’ve tied the knot.
What you should do: Either make a new Will as soon as possible after you get married or put one in place in contemplation of marriage before the big day.
2. Divorce or Dissolution of Civil Partnership
While marriage revokes a Will entirely, divorce should be treated differently.
Once a divorce (or dissolution) is finalised, your former spouse or civil partner is treated as though they died before you. Therefore, they cannot inherit under your Will, and they can’t act as an executor. The rest of your Will stays valid.
Not considering changes to your Will during or after a divorce can cause a few unintended issues. Firstly, once your divorce is finalised, your Will may no longer reflect your wishes. For example, if your Will leaves everything to your spouse, then to your children, your estate may now go straight to your children, which can create complications if they’re young.
Secondly, if you die before your divorce is finalised, your spouse could be entitled to inherit everything under your current Will, even if you have been separated for years.
What you should do: Review and update your Will during divorce proceedings, not after. Don’t leave it until after the divorce is finalised.
For more information, see our articles, ‘I want a divorce, what now? Divorce: the basics’, or ‘What happens to your finances during a divorce?’
3. The Birth or Adoption of a Child
The birth or adoption of a child changes everything, including how you want your estate to be handled and what you want your Will to cover. If you created your Will before your children came along, it’s unlikely to include specific provisions for them. Even if it mentions ‘future children’, it may not set out the right arrangements. You should consider including who will care for them if something happens to you while they are still young, and how their inheritance should be protected until they’re old enough to inherit.
If you have children from a previous relationship, or stepchildren from a new relationship, it’s particularly important to make sure your Will reflects your wishes clearly and fairly, and everyone is provided for according to your wishes.
What you should do: Ensure that your Will is updated to name guardians for young children and consider establishing trusts to protect your child’s inheritance. Our estate planning and trusts solicitors can help you understand what would be suitable for your circumstances and structure this properly.
4. The Birth of a Grandchild
The arrival of a grandchild often prompts a natural “time to review things” moment.
Whether leaving a specific gift, setting aside funds for the future, or establishing trust funds, you may want to adjust how your estate is handled now that your children are having families of their own.
What you should do: Consider how you want to provide for a growing family, and whether you want any provisions to be equal between grandchildren or based on need.
5. When an Executor or Beneficiary Dies
The death of a loved one is understandably upsetting, but it is important to consider how this will affect your estate if you have included them in your Will as a beneficiary or an executor.
If an executor dies, you may be left without anyone properly appointed to deal with the estate. If a beneficiary dies, the gift may fail or pass in a way that is not in line with your wishes.
For example, if you left everything equally between two siblings and one has passed away, do you want their children to benefit, or would you prefer the survivor to inherit their share?
What you should do: Review your Will whenever someone named in it dies. Ensure you appoint replacement executors and that replacement beneficiaries are properly named.
6. Buying Property or Acquiring Significant Assets
Buying a new home, acquiring a second property, receiving an inheritance, or setting up a business are all assets that can significantly increase your estate’s value.
The “simple Will” you made several years ago may no longer be suitable for your current financial circumstances. As your estate grows, you need to ensure your Will meets your needs, especially if there are opportunities to reduce inheritance tax or protect assets properly.
If you own more than one property (for example, a family home in Lincolnshire and a holiday property elsewhere), you may also want to be clear about how these assets should be handled and specify who inherits what.
If you are a business owner with commercial property or business assets, careful consideration about how these should be handled is crucial.
What you should do: Review your Will whenever your assets increase substantially and consider inheritance tax planning opportunities. Our Private Client team can provide specialist advice on a variety of matters relating to your estate, including Will writing, estate planning, trusts creation and management, and inheritance tax planning.
7. Selling Property or Losing Assets
Just as gaining assets matters, so does selling or losing items mentioned in your Will.
If your Will specifically leaves a property to someone, and you sell it later, that gift may fail entirely, which may not be what you intended. The same goes for other specific gifts or financial provisions that no longer exist. If financial circumstances change, or certain assets are sold, your Will may need updating.
What you should do: Keep your Will current and aligned with your current financial situation, particularly if you have included specific gifts of property or named assets.
8. Moving to or from Lincolnshire and the UK
A Will made in England is generally valid across the UK, but moving can have implications, particularly if there are overseas assets, as its effectiveness is subject to local laws and regulations.
If you are moving to Lincolnshire from abroad, or vice versa, different inheritance laws might apply to your overseas assets. Scotland, for example, has different rules around inheritance, and international property or maintaining assets overseas can bring additional legal considerations. If you have assets in more than one country, the structure of your Will becomes even more important.
What you should do: Review your Will when you move, especially if you are relocating internationally or dealing with assets in a different jurisdiction. Our Lincolnshire team can advise on how your English Will interacts with any foreign assets.
9. Changing Relationships with Beneficiaries
As life changes, it’s natural for relationships and family dynamics to change too. But does your Will reflect your current wishes?
What made sense several years ago may no longer reflect how you intend your estate to be distributed today. Maybe you have become estranged from a family member you previously included, or you have grown closer to someone you’d like to benefit. Or perhaps you want to support a particular charity. These are all valid reasons to update your Will.
However, it is important to remember that, although in the UK you are generally allowed to leave your assets to whomever you choose, removing certain beneficiaries who were expecting to inherit, may lead to Will disputes. They may be able to make a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 if they are excluded. Children from a previous relationship may also be able to challenge a Will if everything is left to a new spouse. Our article, Can I Make A Claim Under The Inheritance Act 1975?, addresses some common questions regarding this type of Will disputes.
What you should do: Think carefully about whether your Will still reflects your wishes. If it doesn’t, you should update it to do so. Before making any drastic changes, it is advisable to seek legal advice about how to do this correctly and ensure your Will remains legally valid.
10. Changes in Tax Laws or Your Financial Circumstances
Inheritance tax (IHT) thresholds, allowances, and reliefs change regularly, with some of the most recent changes discussed in our article, Changes in Inheritance Tax – What You Need to Know.
If your estate has grown, includes pensions, or if you have received an inheritance yourself, what was tax-efficient five years ago might no longer be suitable. Professional advice can help you structure your Will to minimise the tax burden on your beneficiaries.
At the moment, the nil-rate band is £325,000, with an additional residence nil-rate band of £175,000 when leaving your home to direct descendants. These allowances can be transferred between spouses and civil partners, but only if things are structured correctly.
Learn more: How Inheritance Tax works: thresholds, rules and allowances.
What you should do: Review your will every few years, even if nothing specific has changed, particularly if your estate is approaching or exceeds inheritance tax thresholds.
Do You Need a Whole New Will When Making Changes?
Not necessarily. If you are making simple changes, such as changing an executor or adding a small gift, a codicil (a legal addition to your existing Will) might be sufficient. It’s cleaner, avoids confusion, and reduces the risk of ambiguity about your wishes.
For bigger changes, especially if this is due to marriage, divorce, or anything more complicated, a new Will is often the better option.
At Bridge McFarland LLP, we always encourage people to treat their Will as a living document, something that grows and changes with you. Our team can advise on the best approach for your circumstances, guiding you through updating or writing a new Will.
The Risk of Doing Nothing
Writing your Will the first time round is a big task, so it is understandable that updating it can feel like one more job on an already busy list. But leaving an outdated Will can create problems, including:
- Your estate going to the wrong people
- Guardianship issues for children
- Avoidable inheritance tax bills
- Loved ones being left without proper provision
- Inheritance disputes that cause stress, delay, and legal costs
Our Contentious Probate team often helps families who are dealing with the consequences of a poorly drafted Will or one that wasn’t kept up to date. It is much easier (and less stressful for your loved ones) to get it reviewed and updated correctly.
How Bridge McFarland LLP Can Help
Our Wills, Probate, and Trusts team has been helping families protect what matters most for decades.
We take the time to understand your circumstances, your family, your assets, and what you want to happen in the future. Whether you have recently got married, growing your family, updating things after a divorce, or are grandparents thinking about the next generation, our team is here to help.
We work with families across Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire, with offices in Anlaby, Brigg, Grimsby, Hull, Lincoln, Louth, Market Rasen and Scarborough, offering support when you need it most.
Get in Touch
If any of these life events sound familiar, or if you simply can’t remember when you last reviewed your Will, please get in touch with our team.
To speak to a solicitor regarding writing or making changes to your Will, call 0800 987 8800 or fill in our contact form.
About the Author: This article was prepared by the Wills, Probate and Trusts team at Bridge McFarland LLP. Our team has decades of combined experience helping families across Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire with all aspects of estate planning and will preparation.
This blog is for information purposes only and not intended to be taken as legal advice or acted upon. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our team of solicitors.
