A will is a snapshot. Life is not. These are the events that change what your will does, usually without anyone noticing, and what we do about each one.
| What happens | What it does to your will | What PerfectWill does |
|---|---|---|
| You marry or enter a civil partnership | Cancels your existing will entirely (Wills Act 1837, s.18), unless it was made in contemplation of that marriage | Tells you before the wedding if we know it is coming, and offers a new will the week after |
| You divorce or dissolve a civil partnership | Your ex is treated as having died before you: any gift to them and their appointment as executor fall away (s.18A). The rest of the will stands, often with gaps | Re-runs your will with your ex removed and shows you what is now missing |
| You have or adopt a child | Nothing automatic. A will naming only existing children may leave the new one out; no guardian is appointed | Adds the child, asks about guardians, updates the will |
| You buy a home with someone | If you own as joint tenants, your share passes to the co-owner automatically and your will cannot change that | Explains joint tenancy versus tenants in common and, if you want your share to go elsewhere, offers a notice of severance |
| You start a business | Shares or a sole-trader business need specific provision, and may qualify for relief that a simple will wastes | Flags it and introduces a solicitor; this is beyond a free will |
| Someone you named dies or falls out with you | The gift or appointment fails; if it is the residuary gift, part of your estate may pass under the intestacy rules | Lets you swap a name in two minutes |
| The law changes | The Law Commission has recommended ending the rule that marriage revokes a will. When Parliament acts, what your will means may change | We track it and tell you in plain English what it means for you |
On the anniversary of your will we send one short message: has anything changed? If nothing has, you reply no and that is it. If something has, you answer two or three questions and we rebuild the will. You sign the new one the same way as the first. There is no charge, ever, for this.
The most common reason a will fails in practice is that nobody can find it. When you finish, we offer to send the executor you named a short note, from you, saying a will exists, where you keep it, and what being an executor involves. They get our free executor's guide. When the time comes, they know who to call.