[WSBAPT] Amending a Will

Tue Sep 29 10:31:40 PDT 2026

Of course it matters if I did the will that is being amended and how recently.

If I did not, or did, but it is very old, I will often do a codicil if the amendment is small (and not likely to cause hard feelings) and a new will if the changes are more substantial.

Heather

Heather S. de Vrieze
(she/her)
Attorney-at-Law
[cid:image001.jpg at 01DD4FFD.B5197E90]
3909 California Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98116-3705
(206)938-5500
heatherd at westseattlelaw.com<mailto:heatherd at westseattlelaw.com>
www.westseattlelaw.com<http://www.westseattlelaw.com/>

For your advance planning, Heather will be out of the office mid-October (12th-22nd).

UPDATE: deVrieze | Carney PLLC will be CLOSED on FRIDAYS through January 1, 2027, returning to a five day work week January 4, 2027
Click here to connect with de Vrieze | Carney on Facebook:   [FB Logo] <https://www.facebook.com/DeVriezeCarney>

CONFIDENTIAL & PRIVILEGED. This e-mail message may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information.  If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete all copies of this e-mail message and any attachment.

From: wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com> On Behalf Of Sarah McCarthy
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2026 10:19 AM
To: WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt at lists.wsbarppt.com>
Subject: Re: [WSBAPT] Amending a Will

Another consideration is whether or not any beneficiary's share of the estate is getting larger or smaller, and if so, do we want to avoid creating feelings of upset or resentment.  A codicil keeps that prior history in place, as the codicil will need to be read alongside the will.  A new will wipes the slate clean in most cases, if the beneficiaries had not already been provided a copy of the prior will.

Sarah

Sarah O’Farrell McCarthy

(Pronouns: she / her)
Attorney*, Partner | Kelly, Arndt & Walker, Attorneys at Law, PLLP
P.O. Box 290 | 6443 Harding Avenue | Clinton, WA  98236

(Located on Whidbey Island, Island County, Washington)

* Licensed to practice in Washington (active) and California (inactive)
Phone: (360) 341-1515 | Fax: (360) 341-3272
sarah at kawlawyers.com<mailto:sarah at kawlawyers.com> | www.kawlawyers.com<http://www.kawlawyers.com>

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR DELIVERIES TO THIS OFFICE:

For delivery by USPS, please send to PO Box 290, Clinton, WA 98236.

For delivery by UPS or FedEX, please send to 6443 Harding Ave, Clinton WA 98236.

This electronic message transmission contains information from the law firm of Kelly, Arndt & Walker, PLLP which may be confidential or privileged.  This information is intended to be for the use of the individual or entity named above,  If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any further review, disclosure, printing, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of this transmission is prohibited. If you have received this electronic message transmission in error, please notify us immediately by reply e-mail and delete the original message.  Thank you.

We do not accept service of any kind by e-mail unless expressly authorized in writing by the attorney of record.  This e-mail is NOT a contract and is not binding upon the author pursuant to CR 2A. This e-mail is, at most, a negotiation under ER 408.

On Tue, Sep 29, 2026 at 10:16 AM Sara Longley <sara.longley at ivylawpllc.com<mailto:sara.longley at ivylawpllc.com>> wrote:
It really depends.  If the existing will needs only a minor change such as replacing a PR or beneficiary, a codicil is fine.  I have done many codicils.  But more substantial changes (e.g. to include a tax shelter trust, or if the testator has married or divorced or if their spouse has passed away) usually indicate a new will is more appropriate.

Another way to analyze it is whether it will take more time to draft the revisions for a codicil that it would to simply make a new will including the new provisions.

Sara

Sara D. Longley, Attorney
Ivy Law PLLC
1417 NW 54<https://www.google.com/maps/search/1417+NW+54?entry=gmail&source=g>th St., Ste. 313
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 925-2727<tel:(206)%20925-2727>
Sara.Longley at IvyLawPLLC.com<mailto:Sara.Longley at IvyLawPLLC.com>

[https://res.public.onecdn.static.microsoft/assets/bookwithme/misc/CalendarPerson20px.png]<https://bookings.cloud.microsoft/bookwithme/user/9e9bb9a083c94197aafe4f8853f351ce@ivylawpllc.com?anonymous&ismsaljsauthenabled&ep=bwmEmailSignature>
Book time to meet with me<https://bookings.cloud.microsoft/bookwithme/user/9e9bb9a083c94197aafe4f8853f351ce@ivylawpllc.com?anonymous&ismsaljsauthenabled&ep=bwmEmailSignature>

From: wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com<mailto:wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com> <wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com<mailto:wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com>> On Behalf Of Jordan Kostelyk
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2026 10:00 AM
To: WSBAPT at lists.wsbarppt.com<mailto:WSBAPT at lists.wsbarppt.com>
Subject: [WSBAPT] Amending a Will

Hello all,

Which do you prefer to execute a new will with the amendments or execute a codicil? What are your reasons?

Thank you,
Jordan

***Disclaimer: Please note that RPPT listserv participation is not restricted to practicing attorneys and may include non-practicing attorneys, law students, professionals working in related fields, and others.***
_______________________________________________
WSBAPT mailing list
WSBAPT at lists.wsbarppt.com<mailto:WSBAPT at lists.wsbarppt.com>
http://mailman.fsr.com/mailman/listinfo/wsbapt
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/wsbapt/attachments/20260929/441d99b6/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 17884 bytes
Desc: image001.jpg
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/wsbapt/attachments/20260929/441d99b6/image001.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: image/png
Size: 18009 bytes
Desc: image002.png
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/wsbapt/attachments/20260929/441d99b6/image002.png>