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A codicil is a legal document that dictates any modifications or amendments to your last Will and Testament. If, for any reason, you feel the need to change some part of your Will — which can include adding new arrangements or removing old ones — you can easily do so with a codicil.

A codicil has to be signed and witnessed in the same way as your original will, but you don't need to use the same witnesses. Don't use someone as a witness if they or their husband/wife or civil partner benefits from a gift in the codicil – it will make the gift to them (in the codicil) invalid.

You can have a lawyer write your codicil for you, or you can make one yourself. However, in most cases it makes more sense just to make a new will. Revoking the old will and making a new one will reduce the possibility of any confusion that could come from having an add-on to your will.

[date] I, [name], a resident of the County of [county], State of [state], declare that this is the codicil to my last will and testament, which is dated [date original signed]. I add or change said last will in the following manner: [List all specific changes or additions to the original will.

A codicil to a trust is called a “trust amendment.” A trust amendment serves the same purpose as a codicil to a will. When changes occur in your life that affect the terms of an existing trust, you may need to amend your trust to accommodate those changes.

Change your will with a codicil To be legally effective, codicils must be executed and witnessed just like a will. In Texas, this means you must be of sound mind to make a codicil, and it must be signed by you and two witnesses. Estate attorneys generally don't recommend creating a codicil.

The first issue is whether Kevin's writing on the last page of his will is a valid holographic codicil to his duly executed will. Under Texas law, a holographic codicil must be wholly in the testator's handwriting, signed by the testator, and written with testamentary intent.

Making changes to your will The only way you can change a will is by making an official alteration called a codicil. You must sign a codicil and get it witnessed in the same way as witnessing a will. There's no limit on how many codicils you can add to a will.

No, in Oregon, you do not need to notarize your will to make it legal.

In order to be valid, a handwritten will or codicil must be wholly written in the testator's handwriting and signed by the testator.