A change to a will or revocable trust can be made by making a codicil or an amendment, or by rewriting the document entirely.

Q: In what circumstances should people revise their estate documents, in total or in part? When are codicils sufficient, and what's the protocol for drafting and including them?

A: People revise their durable power of attorney, medical power of attorney, HIPAA releases and similar forms for a few reasons. Sometimes, they need to change the people they have named in those forms because the person has died, is too old or incapacitated, or is otherwise no longer someone they want to name. Or it may simply be a change in how the person wants to dispose of his or her estate.

It is also possible that years have passed, and the forms have changed. Having the latest version of a form is better than having an old, out-of-date version.........

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