wills

[littlejack]

i live in ct. a relative has a house she wants to leave me when she passes away. she has a will, can the change be done by a codicil, and can it be done without going to a lawyer?

 

[advisor10]

12-27-2001

DEAR LITTLEJACK:

You have neglected to explain how you are related to this lady.

Was her will originally prepared by an attorney or was it a do-it-yourself-job? If it was prepared by attorney (hopefully, it was), it is an easy step to take it back to that same attorney to have the codicil officially done. However, doing it by codicil is somewhat sloppy--it is much preferable to have everything done on the up-and-up and having the typographical language corrected in the will to prepare a brand new copy that is not likely to be challenged by any other heirs/beneficiaries.

If the house is paid for in full, she may also want to consider adding your name to the title/deed.

Whatever you do, please consult with an attorney to protect your rights and insure that everything is done legally. If you try to take the easy way out by guessing at what needs to be done or making the correction by handwriting only, you could lose big-time.