Life moves. Your will can keep up.
A codicil is a formal, solicitor-reviewed amendment to your existing will: for the small changes life brings, without rewriting the whole document. £49 per codicil.
The right tool for the change
Small, contained changes suit a codicil. Structural ones deserve a fresh will, and your solicitor will tell you which is which.
A codicil is right for
Contained, specific changes
- Changing or adding an executor
- Adding or updating a specific gift
- Updating names after marriage or a change of address
- Adjusting funeral wishes
Choose a new will for
Structural changes to your estate plan
- Marriage or divorce: these change your whole estate plan
- A new partner, child or blended family
- Rewriting who inherits your residuary estate
- Several changes at once: a fresh will is clearer and safer
Small change, same rigour
A badly made amendment can unsettle a well-made will. Every Willful codicil goes through the same solicitor review and formal execution as the will it changes.
- Reviewed against your actual willYour solicitor reads the amendment alongside the exact will it changes; nothing is approved in isolation.
- Signed and witnessed properlyA codicil needs the same formalities as a will. Your signing guide walks you and your witnesses through it.
- Stored with your willThe codicil lives in your encrypted vault beside the will it amends, where your executors will find both.
- A fresh will when you need oneIf your change is structural, start a replacement will instead; your current will stays valid until the new one is signed.
Common questions
What is a codicil?
A codicil is a formal legal amendment to an existing will. It is signed and witnessed with the same formalities as the will itself, and is read alongside it after your death.
Does a codicil need witnesses?
Yes: exactly like a will, a codicil must be signed in the presence of two independent witnesses. Your Willful signing guide walks you through it.
When is a new will better than a codicil?
For anything structural (marriage, divorce, new children, changing main beneficiaries) a fresh will is safer and clearer. Willful lets you start a replacement will at any time; your current will stays valid until the new one is signed.
Do I need a Willful will to add a codicil?
Yes: Willful codicils amend wills created and executed on Willful, so your solicitor can review the amendment against the exact will it changes.
Worth reading first
All updating your will guides