What a Codicil Can Do
- Replace a named executor with someone else
- Add or remove a specific gift (a particular item or sum)
- Change a beneficiary’s share
- Add or remove a guardian for minor children
- Update an address or name change
What a Codicil Cannot Do Well
- Make major structural changes — better to write a new Will
- Add complex provisions without risk of ambiguity
- Survive a marriage — if you marry after the codicil, the original Will (and therefore the codicil) is revoked
💡 In practice, a new Will is usually preferable. A new Will is clean, unambiguous, and avoids the risk of inconsistency between the original Will and a codicil. Clear Legacy charges £69 for a single Will.
Legal Requirements for a Valid Codicil
A codicil must be:
- In writing
- Signed by the testator (the Will-maker) in the presence of two witnesses
- Both witnesses must sign in the presence of the testator
- Witnesses cannot be beneficiaries (the same rule as for the Will itself)
If a codicil fails to meet these requirements it is invalid — the original Will remains unchanged.
How Many Codicils Can a Will Have?
There is no legal limit, but multiple codicils can create confusion and contradictions. Once you have more than one codicil, it is usually simpler and safer to write a new Will that incorporates all changes cleanly.
Update Your Will from £69
Clear Legacy includes one free amendment. New Wills from £69. No need for codicils in most cases.
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