can i cross out and initial a change in my will
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can i cross out and initial a change in my will
I have a simple online will that I want to take out a provision. Can I cross out the parts I want to change and initial them or what can I do without having to redo and print another one.
Asked on August 24, 2017 under Estate Planning, Georgia
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
You must follow the letter of the law in your state so that your Will won't later be declared invalid due to the changes you may make. In many states, simply crossing out a provision and initialling the change cause problems. In some, a Will that's partially typed but with a few handwritten provisions can be declared entirely void or the court simply won't honor the handwritten parts. The best way to make a change is to either exeucte a "codicil" (i.e. an amendement to a Will) or redoing the Will itself to reflect the change desired. In fact, since most Will nowadays are forms done on a computer, drafting/executing a new Will might me just as easy as doing a codicil. In either event, make sure that the document is properly witnessed. Finally, if you don't want to pay an attorney to prepate a new Will for you, you can at least have them review the new document that you do just to be sure it complies fully with state law requirements; this a cheaper alternative and you will at least have the benefit of being certain that your estate will pass as you intend.
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