Wills are not only applicable to people who have a lot of money or property. Anyone who wants to make sure that their wishes are followed concerning the allocation of their possessions posthumously, need to have a will adequately drawn. One of the central questions asked by people who have wills made is its validity.

For a will to be valid, it must follow the criteria below:

• A will must be in writing signed by the individual requesting the will as well as two witnesses.
• The person requesting the will should be mentally capable and clearly understands the purpose and the effect of such a document.
• The will should have been made voluntarily and without coercion.

A new will also revoke any other will previously made. As such, all wills made before the latest one should be destroyed as these will no longer be valid.

Length of validity

In general, if a will has been properly validated, it does not expire. However, certain circumstances may lead to having changes made to the will. Examples include the acquisition of new properties, a marriage, or divorce. These changes are reasons enough to ensure that a will is regularly visited.

Making changes to a will

As suggested above, a will should be reviewed every five years. This is to account for any minor or significant changes that will be made to the will. As a general rule, the original document should not be altered in any way. In making minor changes or codicils, the process is similar to drawing up the will itself where witnesses should be present in the signing. For major changes, a new will should be made.

Distributing an estate balance

The estate administrator or executor can distribute the remaining balance in an estate once all the debts, legacies, and outstanding taxes have been paid. The process of administering an estate begins at the time of death and will only end when the representatives of the estate have managed the assets following the law.

If you need a will written, you can get the services of our advisers who will guide you through all the important aspects related to the process. We also provide face to face services, and our wills are guaranteed to be professionally written and legally binding. We are also a member of The Society of Will Writers, and we offer express service where your will can be finalised in less than two weeks.