Do I have to go through a lawyer to change the beneficiary of my Will or can I just have a letter stating the beneficiary has changed and get it notarized?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Do I have to go through a lawyer to change the beneficiary of my Will or can I just have a letter stating the beneficiary has changed and get it notarized?
Asked on September 3, 2015 under Estate Planning, Ohio
Answers:
S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 9 years ago | Contributor
You don't need an attorney to change the beneficiary in your Will.
All you need is an amendment to the Will which is called a codocil. You acknowledge your signature on the codocil in the presence of two disinterested witnesses.
The codocil would say I, ________ your name amend my Will dated _________ as follows ________ name is no longer the beneficiary. The beneficiary as of ________ date is ________ name.
sign and date at the bottom as mentioned above in the presence of two disinterested witnesses.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.