Update Your Will Week: When and Why to Review Your Will

This Update Your Will Week (2nd – 8th March 2026), Fisher Jones Greenwood is proud to support The Association of Lifetime Lawyers in raising awareness about the importance of both making a Will and keeping it up to date as life changes around you.

It’s one of those things that most people know they should do, but far fewer actually get around to. And for those who have already made a Will, there is an equally common trap: making one, filing it away, and never looking at it again.

A Will is not a one-time task. It is a reflection of your life, your relationships, your assets, your wishes, and all of those things can change overtime. At FJG, our Wills, Life Planning and Probate team works with people across Essex, Suffolk and London who are often surprised to discover that a Will they made years ago no longer does what they intended.

Update Your Will Week is a good time to stop and ask yourself three straightforward questions.

1. Do you actually have a Will?

If not, you are far from alone, but it is worth understanding what that means in practice. Without a valid Will, the intestacy rules apply. That is the law’s default position on who gets what, and it rarely lines up with what most people would choose.

Unmarried partners have no automatic right to inherit, regardless of how long they have been together. Stepchildren are not recognised. Close friends, favourite charities, beloved pets, none of these feature in the intestacy rules at all. In the absence of a Will, even straightforward estates can become drawn-out and difficult for the people left behind.

A Will is how you take that decision out of the law’s hands. It lets you say who inherits, who acts as executor, who you want as guardian for any children under 18, and whether you want to leave anything to causes that matter to you. It is also far less complicated to put in place than most people imagine.

2. When did you last look at it?

Making a Will is the right thing to do. But a Will written ten years ago was written for a different version of your life. Reviewing yours every five years is sensible, but there are specific moments that should prompt you to act sooner.

Marriage or civil partnership revokes any existing Will entirely under English and Welsh law. If you married after making yours, your old Will is no longer valid.

Separation or divorce does not cancel a Will, but it does affect it. Gifts and appointments made in favour of a former spouse will generally lapse, which can leave your estate in a position you never intended.

New additions to the family, whether children, stepchildren, or grandchildren, are not automatically included in an existing Will. If appointing a guardian for young children is something your Will deals with, that needs to be current.

Changes to what you own matter too. Buying property, inheriting money, starting or selling a business, these all affect the shape of your estate and may open up inheritance tax planning that is worth considering at the same time.

Losing someone named in your Will is a prompt many people overlook. If a beneficiary, executor or guardian has died, your Will needs updating, otherwise it may not work as intended when the time comes.

Relationships that have shifted deserve attention as well. If there is someone you would no longer want to benefit, or someone new you would, your Will should reflect where things stand today.

3. Does it still do what you need it to?

This is the question that often catches people out. A Will can be technically valid and still fail to protect the people you care about, because circumstances have changed in ways that were not anticipated when it was written.

If you are not sure whether yours still does what you intend, the most useful thing you can do is have a conversation with a solicitor. At FJG, our Wills, Life Planning and Probate team does exactly that: we look at what you have, talk through what has changed, and give you a straight answer about whether it still holds up.

If it needs updating, we handle that clearly and efficiently: drafting a Will that reflects your current wishes, guiding you through signing it correctly, and storing it safely at no extra cost. For those with more involved circumstances, we can also advise on inheritance tax planning, lasting powers of attorney, trusts and asset protection, all things that work best when considered together rather than in isolation.

Our Association of Lifetime Lawyers members

FJG is proud to have four members of the Association of Lifetime Lawyers in our Wills, Life Planning and Probate team: Gregory John, Clare Moreton, Gina Fairweather and James Bird.

Accreditation with the Association of Lifetime Lawyers requires specialist training and assessment focused on supporting older and vulnerable clients through later-life planning. It ensures the advice you receive meets a high and independently assessed standard.

Gregory John, Partner and Head of Wills, Life Planning and Probate at FJG, puts it well:

“Having a Will ensures your wishes are clearly understood and legally protected, giving you and your loved ones certainty at a difficult time. It gives you control over your estate, helps prevent disputes, and offers peace of mind that everything will be handled exactly as you intend. Our highly qualified and accredited team includes Association of Lifetime Lawyers members, representing the gold standard in supporting vulnerable and older people with clear, compassionate legal advice. They help clients of all ages make important life decisions, including those with complex needs who may require additional support.”