You may be wondering whether your loved one’s will is set in stone once they have passed on. The short answer is no. However, the long answer is that there may be a way to change the effect the will has on you. Read on to discover how you can change a will after someone dies and how one of the seasoned New York City will attorneys at Zimmet Law Group, P.C. can help you go about this.
Why would I want to change a will after my loved one has passed on?
At initial thought, you may think that you are taking for granted the inheritance that a loved one has left you by wanting to change their will. However, there are some logical reasons why you may be interested in doing so, and they are as follows:
- You may not want your share of the inheritance at all, so you can help reduce the inheritance tax.
- You may not want your share of the inheritance at all, so that it can go to someone else.
- You may not want some of your share of the inheritance, so every beneficiary receives the same amount.
- You may want to include important people who were born after the will was established.
- You may want to include important people who were treated unfairly in the will.
- You may not believe that the will truly reflects what your loved one wanted.
- You may not believe that the will is valid.
How can I legally change the effect of a will?
There are two ways in which you can legally change the effect of a will, which is either by a deed of disclaimer or a deed of variation. Regardless of which you choose, there are some changes that you are not allowed to make. They are as follows:
- You cannot change the inheritance of anyone else mentioned in the will unless they agree to it.
- You cannot change the inheritance of anyone mentioned in the will who is under the age of 18.
- You cannot change the executors or guardians mentioned in the will unless they agree to it.
- You cannot change your share of the estate to be bigger unless someone else agrees to give up some of their share.
- You cannot change anything in the will on behalf of someone who is not mentioned in the will.
If you require help with drawing up a deed of disclaimer or a deed of variation, then retain the services of one of the competent New York City wills, trusts & estates attorneys. We look forward to assisting you.
