Lawsmith

Wills & Estates

Codicil

Change a gift, a fiduciary or a clause in an existing will without redoing it.

Try 5 documents freeDraft a sample

What you get

  • An editable Word document, drafted from your answers and the state's official text.
  • A proof of sources: every citation in the draft with the words it quotes, the official source, the date the text was saved and its fingerprint.
  • Notes for counsel listing each point marked [VERIFY], each blank and each choice left for the client.

What the intake asks

Plain questions, in the order an attorney would take the facts. Anything left blank stays a marked blank in the draft; nothing is invented to fill it.

The will being amended

  • Testator's full legal name
  • Date of the will
  • The will

The changes

  • What changes
  • Reason to state
  • The rest of the will

Signing

  • Execution
  • Other instructions

Where it is offered

Every state Lawsmith has official sources for:

CaliforniaConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaMarylandMassachusettsNew JerseyNew YorkOhioPennsylvaniaTexasVirginia

Official sources on file

The drafter works from the texts Lawsmith has saved for this document in the state you choose, plus federal law where it applies. Each is read from the official publisher and dated.

StateSources for this document
California46
Connecticut40
Delaware49
District of Columbia27
Florida45
Maryland42
Massachusetts40
New Jersey40
New York37
Ohio40
Pennsylvania49
Texas47
Virginia39

Among them, for New Jersey:

  • N.J.S.A. 3B:3-1 Individuals competent to make a will and appoint a testamentary guardian.
  • N.J.S.A. 3B:3-2 Execution; witnessed wills; writings intended as wills.
  • N.J.S.A. 3B:3-3 Writings intended as wills.
  • N.J.S.A. 3B:3-4 Making will self-proved at time of execution.
  • N.J.S.A. 3B:3-5 Making will self-proved subsequent to time of execution.

How the draft is checked

Before it writes, the drafter must quote the official text behind each citation. Lawsmith compares every quotation with the text on file, character for character; a citation with no checked quotation reaches you marked [VERIFY]. The draft still needs your review before it is signed, filed or sent. How citations are checked

More wills & estates documents

Last Will and TestamentRevocable Living TrustPour-Over WillDurable Power of AttorneyAdvance Medical DirectiveHealth Care ProxyLiving WillHIPAA AuthorizationCertification of TrustAssignment of Assets to TrustTransfer-on-Death Deed