Clients often ask us if they have to change their Wills if they move address. The simple answer to this is “no” but there are a couple of caveats.
Firstly, if your Will is held by your Solicitors then it is essential you inform them of your change of address so they can update their general records.
Secondly, it is very important to check you haven’t left your property in your Will to a beneficiary e.g. “I leave my property No. 1 High Street, Any Town, to my son John.” This is a specific bequest which would fail (known as ademption in legal terminology) if you didn’t own No. 1 High Street at the time of your death. If you wanted your new property to pass to John you would have to update your Will to include a gift of the new property.
A much tidier way round this is to draft your Will leaving your property at No. 1 High Street “or any other property I may own as my principal residence at the time of my death” to my son, John. If you move, you won’t have to change your Will.
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