Last Updated: 2 September 2026 I Reading Time: 6 minutes
Summary
A Will is designed to make sure your wishes are followed after your death. But as your circumstances change, the Will you made several years ago may no longer reflect your family, relationships, assets or wishes.
GOV.UK recommends reviewing your Will every five years and whenever there is a major change in your life, such as getting married, having a child, separating or divorcing, moving house or an executor dying.
There are five important life events that should prompt you to consider updating your Will: getting married, having a child, separating or divorcing, experiencing a significant change in your finances, and the death of someone named in your Will.
Quick answer
You should consider updating your Will whenever your circumstances change significantly. Five particularly important times are when you get married, have a child, separate or divorce, experience a major change in your financial circumstances, or a beneficiary or executor named in your Will dies. You should also review your Will regularly, even if nothing major has changed.
In this article
- Why keeping your Will up to date matters
- 5 times you should update your Will
- What happens if your circumstances change
- How often you should review your Will
- What happens if you die without an up-to-date Will
- How GLP Solicitors can help
- Frequently asked questions
Key takeaways
- Marriage can affect an existing Will and, in most cases, a Will made before marriage becomes invalid.
- Having a child is an important reason to review your Will and consider who should care for them if you die.
- Separation or divorce can mean your Will no longer reflects your wishes.
- Changes to your property, savings, inheritance or business interests may mean your Will needs updating.
- If an executor or beneficiary dies, your Will may need to be reviewed.
- GOV.UK recommends reviewing your Will every five years as well as after major life changes.
- A Will can help you decide who should benefit from your estate and who should look after children under 18.
- If you die without a valid Will, the law determines who inherits your estate, rather than you deciding how it should be distributed.
Why is it important to keep your Will updated?
Making a Will is an important step, but it is not necessarily a one-time task.
Your circumstances can change considerably over the course of your life. You might get married, have children, buy a property, build up savings, start a business or experience changes within your family.
If your Will does not reflect those changes, there is a risk that it may not achieve what you intended.
For example, you may have named someone as an executor who has since died, or your Will may leave an inheritance to someone whose circumstances have significantly changed.
GOV.UK recommends reviewing your Will every five years and after any major change in your life.
1. You get married
Getting married is one of the most important reasons to review your Will.
In England and Wales, getting married will generally revoke a Will that you made before the marriage. There is an exception where the Will was made in contemplation of a particular marriage and states that it is not intended to be revoked by that marriage.
This means that if you already have a Will and subsequently get married, you should not assume that your existing arrangements will continue to apply.
If you do not make a valid new Will, the rules of intestacy may determine how your estate is distributed.
What should you consider after getting married?
You may want to review:
- Who you want to inherit your estate
- Whether your spouse should inherit some or all of your estate
- Who you want to act as your executors
- What should happen to your property
- Gifts you want to leave to children or other family members
- Any existing trusts or arrangements
Your Will should reflect your current wishes rather than simply relying on arrangements you made before your circumstances changed.
2. You have a child
Having a child can completely change your priorities and is another important reason to review your Will.
A Will can set out who you would like to look after your children if you die, subject to the relevant legal circumstances. It can also set out how you want assets to be dealt with for children who are under 18.
For example, you may want to consider:
- Who you would want to care for your child
- Who should manage money left to them
- When and how they should receive an inheritance
- Who should act as trustee or executor
- Whether your Will reflects all of your children
This can be particularly important if your family circumstances have changed since your Will was originally written.
If you have more than one child, you should also check that your Will accurately reflects your wishes for each child.
3. You separate or divorce
A separation can be a significant change in your personal and financial circumstances.
Even if your divorce has not yet been finalised, it may be sensible to review your Will to make sure it still reflects what you want to happen to your estate.
Divorce can affect provisions in a Will relating to a former spouse. However, it does not mean you should simply leave your existing Will unchanged.
If you have separated, you may now want different people to benefit from your estate or act as executors.
You may also have new financial arrangements, property interests or responsibilities towards children to consider.
What happens to a Will after divorce?
In England and Wales, divorce can affect gifts or appointments in a Will involving a former spouse or civil partner. HMRC guidance confirms that certain references to a former spouse or civil partner are treated as though that person had died at the time of the testator’s death.
However, this does not necessarily mean the outcome will be what you want.
Updating your Will after separation or divorce allows you to actively decide what should happen, rather than relying on the legal effect of divorce.
4. Your financial circumstances change
A significant change in your finances is another good reason to review your Will.
Your financial position may look very different from when your Will was originally written.
For example, you might have:
- Bought or sold a property
- Received an inheritance
- Built up significant savings or investments
- Started or sold a business
- Acquired valuable possessions
- Taken on substantial debts
- Changed how property is owned
Your Will can deal with assets you acquire after making it, but that does not mean you should ignore significant changes in your estate.
A change in your assets may also mean that existing inheritance planning needs to be reconsidered.
For more complex estates, particularly where there is a business, overseas property, trusts or complicated family circumstances, professional legal advice can help ensure your Will works alongside your wider estate planning. GOV.UK specifically recommends considering professional advice where an estate is not straightforward.
5. Someone close to you dies
If someone named in your Will dies, it is important to review your Will.
This could be a beneficiary, someone you intended to leave money or property to, or an executor, the person you appointed to deal with your estate.
For example, imagine you made a Will 10 years ago and named your brother as an executor. If your brother has since died, you may want to appoint someone else.
Similarly, if a beneficiary named in your Will has died, you should check what happens to their intended inheritance and whether the Will still reflects your wishes.
There are legal rules that can apply where a beneficiary dies before the person who made the Will, but the outcome can depend on the wording of the Will and the circumstances.
Reviewing your Will after a death in the family can therefore help identify any gaps or changes that need to be addressed.
How often should you update your Will?
There is no single date when every Will needs to be replaced.
However, GOV.UK recommends that you review your Will every five years, as well as whenever there is a major change in your circumstances.
It is worth reviewing your Will if:
- Your family circumstances have changed
- Your relationship status has changed
- Your financial circumstances have changed
- Someone named in the Will has died
- You have bought or sold property
- You have started or sold a business
- You have acquired assets overseas
- Your wishes about who should inherit have changed
A review does not always mean you need to make a completely new Will. Depending on the circumstances, changes may be made through a codicil or by creating a new Will. For major changes, GOV.UK recommends making a new Will.
What happens if you do not update your Will?
If you die without a valid Will, you are said to have died intestate.
In this situation, the rules of intestacy determine who inherits your estate. These rules may not reflect what you would have chosen yourself.
This can be particularly important for unmarried couples, blended families, people with children from previous relationships and anyone with a more complicated financial situation.
For example, unmarried partners do not have the same automatic inheritance rights as married couples or civil partners under the intestacy rules.
Making and regularly reviewing a Will gives you greater control over how your estate should be dealt with after your death.
How GLP Solicitors can help
At GLP Solicitors, our Private Client team can help you make a Will that reflects your circumstances and wishes.
We can discuss your family situation, assets and future plans and explain the options available to you.
If you already have a Will, we can also help you review whether it still meets your needs following a significant life event or change in your circumstances.
Depending on your situation, this may include considering Wills, trusts, inheritance planning and Lasting Powers of Attorney as part of your wider estate planning.
The aim is to make sure your arrangements are properly considered and clearly documented.
Frequently Asked Questions
GOV.UK recommends reviewing your Will every five years and whenever you experience a major change in your life. This could include getting married, having a child, separating or divorcing, moving house or an executor dying. You may not need to change the Will every time you review it, but regular reviews can help identify whether your wishes, family circumstances or financial position have changed.
Generally, yes. In England and Wales, marriage usually revokes an existing Will. There is an exception where the Will was made in contemplation of a particular marriage and meets the relevant requirements. If you already have a Will and are getting married, it is important to check that your estate planning reflects your intentions.
Yes. Having a child is an important reason to review your Will. You may want to consider who you would want to care for your child if you die, who should manage assets for them and when they should receive an inheritance. Your Will should also accurately reflect your children and your wishes for their future.
You should consider reviewing your Will following a divorce. Divorce can affect provisions relating to a former spouse or civil partner, but relying on those legal effects may not produce the outcome you want. Reviewing your Will allows you to consider who should inherit, who should act as executor and how your wider circumstances have changed.
If an executor named in your Will dies, you should review your Will to make sure appropriate arrangements are in place. Depending on the wording of the Will and the circumstances, there may be other provisions allowing someone else to administer the estate. However, updating the Will can help avoid uncertainty and ensure the people you trust are responsible for carrying out your wishes.
Buying or selling a property can be a good reason to review your Will, particularly if the change significantly affects your estate. You should consider how the property is owned, who you want to benefit from it and whether your existing Will still reflects your wishes. Property ownership and inheritance can be complicated, particularly where a property is jointly owned or forms part of a larger estate.
Sometimes. Changes to an existing Will can be made through a legal document called a codicil, which must be signed and witnessed correctly. However, GOV.UK recommends making a new Will where major changes are needed. You should not simply write on or alter the original Will, as this can create problems with its validity.
If you die without a valid Will, the rules of intestacy determine who inherits your estate. These rules do not necessarily reflect your personal wishes. For example, unmarried partners do not have the same automatic inheritance rights as spouses or civil partners. Making a valid Will gives you greater control over who benefits from your estate.
Related Services
You may also find these GLP Solicitors services useful as part of your wider estate planning: