Codicil to Last Will & Testament - District of Columbia

CODICIL TO LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

OF [FULL LEGAL NAME]

1. IDENTIFICATION AND DECLARATION

1.1 Testator. I, [FULL LEGAL NAME], residing at [ADDRESS], District of Columbia, being at least eighteen (18) years of age and of sound and disposing mind (D.C. Code § 18-102), and acting free from undue influence, declare this instrument to be the [First / Second / Third / __________] Codicil to my Last Will and Testament (this "Codicil").

1.2 Existing Will. I made and executed my Last Will and Testament dated [__/__/____] (the "Will").

1.3 Prior Codicils. ☐ I have made no prior codicil to the Will. ☐ I have previously made the following codicil(s), all of which remain in effect except as expressly changed below: [List each prior codicil by ordinal and execution date, or "None."]

1.4 Purpose. I make this Codicil to add to, delete from, and/or modify specific provisions of the Will. Except as expressly amended by this Codicil, I ratify and confirm the Will in all respects.

1.5 Governing Law. This Codicil shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia.

2. CONTINUING EFFECT OF THE WILL

2.1 Will Remains in Force. The Will, as previously executed and as amended by any prior codicil identified in Section 1.3, remains in full force and effect except as specifically modified by this Codicil.

2.2 No General Revocation. This Codicil does not revoke the Will in its entirety. It revokes only those specific provisions expressly identified below, and only to the extent stated.

2.3 Conflict. If any provision of this Codicil conflicts with the Will or any prior codicil, the provisions of this Codicil control.

3. AMENDING PROVISIONS

3.1 REVOKE a Specific Article, Section, or Bequest

☐ I revoke in its entirety [Section ____ ] of the Will, captioned [________________________________], and any disposition made therein.

☐ I revoke the specific bequest of [describe property / dollar amount] to [Beneficiary Name] made in [Section ____ ] of the Will. That property shall instead pass under the Residue provisions of the Will.

3.2 ADD a New Bequest

☐ I add the following bequest to the Will:

I give and devise [describe property / $[Amount] / specific tangible item] to [Beneficiary Full Name & Relationship], of [Address], if such beneficiary survives me by thirty (30) days; otherwise this bequest shall ☐ lapse and pass under the Residue clause ☐ pass to [Alternate Beneficiary Name], per stirpes.

3.3 AMEND or REPLACE an Article

☐ New Executor. I revoke the appointment of Executor in [Section ____ ] of the Will and substitute the following: I nominate [New Executor Name], of [Address], as Executor, and [Alternate Executor Name] as Alternate Executor. I request that no bond be required except as the Probate Court or law directs.

☐ New Guardian. I revoke the guardian nomination in [Section ____ ] of the Will. To the extent D.C. Code § 21-102 authorizes my testamentary appointment as the surviving parent of an unmarried minor child, I appoint [New Guardian Name], of [Address], as guardian of that child's person. If the statutory conditions are not met, this name expresses my preference for the court's consideration only. If the nominee refuses to serve, I request that the court consider [Alternate Guardian Name] under § 21-103. This clause does not appoint a guardian of the child's property.

☐ New Trustee / Trust Beneficiary. I amend [Section ____ ] of the Will to provide: [State the replacement trustee, beneficiary, distribution standard, or other amended trust term.]

☐ Other Amendment. I amend [Section ____ ] of the Will to read in its entirety as follows: [________________________________].

4. CONFIRMATION

4.1 Confirmation. I confirm the Will and any prior codicil identified in Section 1.3 except to the extent this Codicil expressly changes them. I sign this Codicil on the date stated below.

4.2 Integration. The Will, any prior codicil identified in Section 1.3, and this Codicil together constitute my entire Will.

5. EXECUTION BLOCK

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I, [FULL LEGAL NAME], the Testator, sign my name to this [First / Second / __________] Codicil on this [____] day of [____________], [____], at [CITY], District of Columbia, declaring to the undersigned witnesses that this instrument is a Codicil to my Last Will and Testament.

_____________________________________ Date: [__/__/____]
[FULL LEGAL NAME], Testator

6. WITNESS ATTESTATION CLAUSE

(At least two credible witnesses required — D.C. Code § 18-103)

We, the undersigned witnesses, each declare that the Testator identified this instrument as a Codicil and signed or acknowledged it to us, and that each of us attested and subscribed this Codicil in the Testator's presence. The Testator appeared to each of us to be at least eighteen (18) years of age, of sound and disposing mind, and free from undue influence. Neither witness should be a beneficiary under the Will or this Codicil; D.C. Code § 18-104 can void a gift to an attesting witness, subject to its limited exceptions.

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• D.C. Code § 18-102 — Capacity to make a will
• D.C. Code § 18-103 — Execution of written will; attestation
• D.C. Code § 18-104 — Gifts to attesting witnesses
• D.C. Code § 18-109 — Revocation of wills
• D.C. Code § 18-308 — Failed or lapsed bequests
• D.C. Code § 20-502 — Personal-representative bond
• D.C. Code §§ 21-102, 21-103 — Guardianship of minors