A will is the document that says who gets what, who raises your children if they are minors, and who is in charge of carrying it out. It is also the document people most often assume they have handled and most often have not, because a will written in another state, or before a divorce, a move, or a death in the family, may no longer do what its author intended.
Virginia has specific rules about what makes a will valid, how it must be signed and witnessed, and what a self proving affidavit adds. There is also a narrow path for handwritten wills that families discover at the worst possible moment, usually in a drawer after a death.
A codicil amends a will rather than replacing it. It is the right tool for a small change and the wrong tool for a rewrite, and knowing which situation you are in saves both money and argument later.
The articles below cover signing requirements, when to update, joint wills and why they cause problems, and how a will interacts with a trust. To have one drafted or reviewed, see our estate planning services.
