Wills, Estates & Probate

Revocation Of A Will

Also known as: revoking a will, revoked will

In plain English

Cancelling an existing will so it no longer has any legal effect.

What it means

Revocation is the cancelling of a will so that it no longer operates. A will can usually be revoked by making a new will that expressly revokes earlier ones, by physically destroying the will with the intention of revoking it, or by a formal written declaration. In most Australian jurisdictions, marriage automatically revokes an earlier will (unless it was made in contemplation of that marriage), and divorce typically revokes gifts to the former spouse. The exact rules vary by state and territory.

How it's used

By signing a new will, she achieved revocation of her earlier 2010 will, which no longer had any effect.

Dealing with revocation of a will in real life?

Wills, probate and estate administration, reviewed by Australian lawyers. Our AI assistant, Rachel Z, takes your details in minutes and a qualified Australian lawyer handles the rest — at a fixed fee, with no hourly billing.