Codicil to Last Will & Testament

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, confirm, and republish 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. No bond shall be required except as the Probate Court may direct.

☐ New Guardian. I revoke the nomination of guardian in [Section ____ ] of the Will and nominate [New Guardian Name], of [Address], as guardian of the person and property of my minor child/children, with [Alternate Guardian Name] as alternate.

☐ 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. REPUBLICATION

4.1 Republication. By executing this Codicil, I republish and re-execute the Will, as amended by this Codicil and by any prior codicil identified in Section 1.3, as of the date of this Codicil. The Will shall be read and construed as though originally executed in its amended form on the date of this Codicil.

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, being present at the same time, each declare that the Testator signed and acknowledged this Codicil in our presence, that we thereafter signed as witnesses in the Testator's presence and in the presence of each other, and that the Testator appeared to us to be at least eighteen (18) years of age, of sound mind, and free from undue influence.

7. AFFIDAVIT IN PROOF OF CODICIL (BEST PRACTICE — NOT STATUTORY SELF-PROOF)

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ) ss.
CITY/COUNTY OF [____________________] )

Before me, the undersigned authority, on this day personally appeared [FULL LEGAL NAME], the Testator, and [WITNESS #1 NAME] and [WITNESS #2 NAME], the witnesses, who being duly sworn, each declared to me that:

1. The Testator willingly signed and executed the foregoing instrument as a Codicil to the Testator's Last Will and Testament.
2. Each witness, in the presence of the Testator and of each other, signed the Codicil as an attesting witness at the Testator's request.
3. To the best knowledge of each witness, the Testator was, at the time of execution, eighteen (18) years of age or older, of sound mind, and under no constraint or undue influence.

_____________________________ Testator
_____________________________ Witness #1
_____________________________ Witness #2

Subscribed and sworn to before me on this [____] day of [____________], [____].

_____________________________________
Notary Public for the District of Columbia
My commission expires: _____________
(Seal)

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• D.C. Code § 18-103 — Execution of written will; attestation (D.C. Law Library)
• D.C. Code § 18-102 — Capacity to make a will (D.C. Law Library)
• D.C. Code § 18-908 — Electronic will attested and made self-proving (D.C. Law Library)
• D.C. Code Title 18 — Wills (D.C. Law Library)