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Can we have a notorized Addendum added to our notorized holographic Will, without having to re-write the entire Will?

Asked almost 3 years ago - Auburn, CA

Because of the poor economy, our money market accounts have been changed to a safer investment. The Addendum will clearly spell out what the new funds' account is and who to contact with relevant numbers.

We used a "kit" initially a few years ago to hand-write the basic Will; now we need to change the information as outlined above.

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Attorney answers (2)

Robin Mashal

Reputation Level 16

Answered almost 3 years ago. Litigation Lawyer in Los Angeles, CA.

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Disclaimer: The materials provided below are informational and should not be relied upon as legal advice.

You can prepare an addendum or a codicil to your will. However, in that situation your wishes are expressed in two or more documents that have to be read together, which may cause confusion to your beneficiaries and to the probate court. A better approach may be to draft a new will that spells out all of your wishes and it supersedes all of your prior wills. An even better approach may be to prepare a living trust and a new will, and this way you may be able to avoid your beneficiaries having to deal with probate court and may also lower the applicable estate taxes. You should immediately consult your own attorney to protect your legal rights.

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Jonathan H Levy

Reputation Level 19

Answered almost 3 years ago. International Law Attorney in Washington, DC.

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In California a holographic codicil is just fine. if you are making a major change though, you may want to redo the entire will.

The California Bar Association has a good summary on wills you might wish to read.

California State Bar on Wills

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