Making a Will is an important step in protecting your assets and your family.

But making a Will does not mean you can simply put it away and forget about it.

“Life changes. Your Will should change with it.”

Marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, changes in your family or specific wishes about your assets can all be reasons to review your Will.

So, when should you review your Will?

1. When You Get Married

Marriage is one of the most important reasons to review your Will.

Your family circumstances have changed, and you may want to ensure that your spouse is properly considered in your estate planning.

If you made your Will before getting married, it is worth having it reviewed to see whether it still reflects your current wishes.

2. When You Have a Child

The arrival of a child can change your estate-planning priorities.

You may want to:

• Include your child as a beneficiary

• Decide how assets should be managed for your child

• Appoint a guardian

• Consider a temporary guardian if your permanent guardian lives outside the UAE

• Review how you want your estate to be distributed among your family

If you already have a Will and subsequently have a child, it is important to review whether the existing Will properly reflects your wishes for your growing family.

3. If You Get Divorced or Separated

Divorce or separation can significantly change your family and financial circumstances.

If your Will was prepared while you were married, it may contain provisions that no longer reflect your wishes.

You may want to review:

• Your beneficiaries

• Your Executor

• Guardianship arrangements

• Any specific gifts or distributions

• How you want your estate to be distributed

A review can help ensure your Will reflects your current circumstances and intentions.

4. When You Buy Property or Acquire New Assets

Buying a new property, opening a bank account or acquiring other assets does not necessarily mean that you need to change your Will.

If your Will covers your estate generally, newly acquired assets may already fall within its scope.

However, a review may be appropriate if you want a specific asset to be distributed in a particular way.

For example, you may want a particular property to go to one child, a specific investment to go to a particular beneficiary, or an asset to be dealt with differently from the rest of your estate.

In such situations, reviewing your Will can help ensure that your specific wishes are clearly reflected.

The same applies when you sell or dispose of an asset that was specifically mentioned in your Will. It is worth checking whether the relevant provision still reflects your intentions.

5. When You Start a Business or Acquire Shares

Starting a business or acquiring shares does not automatically mean that your Will needs to be changed.

If your Will already covers your estate generally, these interests may already fall within its scope.

However, your business interests may require a review if you have specific wishes about who should receive them or how they should be dealt with after your death.

For example, you may want your shares to pass to a particular family member, business partner or beneficiary rather than being distributed in the same manner as the rest of your estate.

In such cases, reviewing your Will can help ensure that your intentions are clearly documented.

6. When Your Financial or Family Circumstances Change

Not every important change involves acquiring a new asset.

Your circumstances may change in other ways, such as:

• A significant change in your financial position

• The birth of another child

• The death of a beneficiary

• A change in your relationship with a beneficiary

• A beneficiary becoming unable to receive or manage an inheritance

• A significant change in your family circumstances

In these situations, it is worth checking whether your Will still reflects what you want.

7. When Your Executor or Guardian Is No Longer Suitable

Sometimes the assets do not change — the people do.

Perhaps your Executor has moved to another country, is no longer able to take on the responsibility, or you simply no longer want them to act in that role.

The same applies to your chosen Guardian.

If your children's circumstances change, or the person you originally appointed as Guardian can no longer take care of them, your Will should be reviewed.

Your Executor and Guardian are important parts of your estate plan. They should be people you trust and who are able to carry out their respective responsibilities.

How Often Should You Review Your Will?

There is no need to wait for a major life event to think about your Will.

As a practical approach, consider reviewing it periodically and, most importantly, whenever there is a significant change in your family, circumstances or wishes.

A simple question can help:

“If something happened to me today, would my Will still say exactly what I want it to say?”

If the answer is uncertain, it may be time for a review.

Don't Let an Old Will Decide Your Future

A Will is a reflection of your wishes at the time it is made.

But your life does not stay the same.

Your family grows. Your circumstances change. Your relationships change. Your wishes may change too.

Your Will should keep up.

At Firm Advice, we assist UAE residents and expatriates with Will reviews, amendments, beneficiary planning, guardianship provisions and Will registration.

Contact Firm Advice today to review your UAE Will and make sure it continues to reflect your wishes.