Change an inheritance after someone has died.
Tell GetWill what should change. We organise the original inheritance, prepare the draft and show the exact terms for you to check. Fifty Six Law reviews the deed before it is issued for signature.
One guided record, one reviewed deed.
- 1. Tell us what should change
Add the will, intestacy details or survivorship record and say what you want to change.
- 2. GetWill prepares the draft
William helps extract the source terms. You confirm the inheritance, affected people and proposed destination before a draft is created.
- 3. Solicitor review and issue
Fifty Six Law checks the source, parties, tax wording and execution before the deed is released for wet-ink signature.
The original inheritance stays visible.
GetWill does not replace the will with a loose summary. It keeps the source document, the original entitlement, the proposed change and the reviewed deed as separate records. If a signed variation is later uploaded, William can read it with page and clause references without overwriting the original position.
- A gift in a will
- Redirect all or part of a specific gift or share of the residue.
- An intestacy entitlement
- Change what someone would otherwise receive where there is no valid will.
- Property passing by survivorship
- Record a proposed change to the deceased person’s severable share of jointly owned property.
- A disclaimer
- Give up a complete gift without choosing who receives it instead, provided it has not already been accepted.
The fixed price is suitable when
- The person died less than two years ago and the inheritance comes from a will, intestacy or survivorship
- Every adult whose inheritance is reduced agrees and can make the decision
- The same property has not already been varied and nothing is being paid in return for the change
- The intended change is clear and the matter is not disputed
A separate quote is needed for
- Tax calculations or specialist tax planning
- A new trust, a complex existing trust or a change affecting a minor or a person who cannot consent
- A dispute, court application, foreign law or property outside England and Wales
- A property transfer, Land Registry application or conveyancing work
- More than one variation, several unrelated inheritances or rectification of an earlier deed
Questions people usually ask
Does a Deed of Variation change the will itself?
It changes how the affected inheritance is treated between the people involved. For Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax, a qualifying written variation can be treated as if the deceased had made the changed gift. It does not rewrite the will for every purpose.
Can an inheritance under intestacy be changed?
Yes. A beneficiary may be able to redirect all or part of an entitlement arising under the intestacy rules. GetWill records the original entitlement before preparing the proposed change.
Can jointly owned property be covered?
A variation can sometimes deal with a deceased person’s severable share in property that passed by survivorship. Property ownership, tax and any Land Registry work must be checked separately and are outside the straightforward fixed-price service.
Does everyone have to sign?
Every person whose inheritance is reduced must agree. Other people, including personal representatives or the person receiving the redirected benefit, may also need or be advised to join depending on the change and its tax effect.
What if a child or someone unable to consent is affected?
That is outside the straightforward service. A parent cannot simply consent for a child whose interest is reduced, and court approval or separate advice may be required.
For the tax conditions, see HMRC’s Instrument of Variation checklist. Only Fifty Six Law provides legal advice when you instruct the firm; William and GetWill organise the information and drafting process.
Start with the inheritance, not a blank deed.
You can organise the source information before payment. No document is issued for signature until the review is complete.