When Should You Update Your Will?
Marriage, divorce, new children, property purchases - life events that require a will update.
A will is not a one-time document. It reflects your life at the moment you signed it, and life keeps moving. The most common reason wills cause problems is not bad drafting - it is that they were never updated when they should have been.
Life events that always warrant a review
Some events should trigger an automatic review. Marriage or divorce changes who you want to benefit and who can act as executor. The birth or adoption of a child changes guardianship arrangements. The death of a named beneficiary, executor or guardian leaves a gap that needs to be filled. Major asset changes - buying or selling a home, starting a business, receiving an inheritance - shift the practical reality your will is meant to cover.
Quieter changes that still matter
Other changes are less obvious but just as important. A move between Emirates may shift which framework is most convenient. A change of nationality can affect which national laws apply alongside your UAE will. A child reaching the age of majority changes guardianship needs. A trusted executor moving abroad or stepping back from your life may need to be replaced.
How often to refresh
We recommend a light annual check-in even when nothing has changed - a fifteen-minute review to confirm that beneficiaries, executors and guardians are still the right people, and that your asset list is still accurate. Most years, no change is needed. The years when a change is needed, you will be glad you looked.
How updates work in practice
Updates are usually faster and cheaper than the original will. Minor changes can be handled by a codicil (a short amendment that sits alongside the original document); larger changes are easier to manage by registering a fresh will that revokes the previous one. Either way, the updated document needs to be properly executed and registered to take effect.