How long is a will valid?
A will that meets all of the requirements described earlier is good until it is changed or revoked by the maker. Changed circumstances (such as marriage, divorce, birth, adoption, death, or changes in tax laws) may require an addition or correction. These changes may be reflected in a document called a codicil. This allows for the changes without redoing your entire will. The codicil must comply with the same requirements as the original will. However, you may need to completely redo the will if the changes are substantial ones. Wills may be changed as often as their makers wish, as long as they are of sound mind. How can a will be revoked? A will can be revoked by being canceled or destroyed by the maker or at the maker’s direction, with the intention of revoking it. A will can also be revoked by executing another will. A will that is revoked by cancellation must be witnessed in the same manner as in the making of a new will. The maker cannot revive a will which has been revoked excep
In general a Will is valid until your death, but there are a few exceptions. If you were married at the time you made a Will and then later got a divorce, in most states either your entire Will was revoked or the portions of your Will that gave property to your former spouse were revoked by the divorce. The remaining portions of your Will might also be affected if the property listed in your Will went to your spouse in the divorce settlement or decree. If you intentionally destroyed the original of your Will or wrote a new Will that revoked it, that also would invalidate your Will. A Will that has been revoked by someone who is legally competent cannot be revived; you have to make a new Will. So, for example, if you have a Will, then change your mind and write a new Will saying that you revoke the original Will, if you change your mind again and destroy the second Will, that would not make the first Will valid again. You have to remake the original Will. Though your Will remains valid
Wills http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/pamphlets/w Source: Washington State Bar Association Information on planning and writing wills, including Planning a Will, Making a Valid Will, Dying Without a Will, Valid Will Requirements, Probate, Changing or Revoking a Will, Updating a Will, Longevity of a Will, Keeping a Will Safe, Costs and Fees, and Services of an Attorney.
