Once you have executed a will, you should review the content periodically to see if any changes are needed. Over time, your life changes; your goals and desires will also be different. We recommend that you review the contents of all your estate planning documents (e.g. wills, trusts, powers of attorney) at least once a year. Your birthday is often a good time to do such review. If you get married, divorced, or have a baby, you should revise your estate planning documents as soon as possible because some of the terms in the documents may become invalid under these scenarios.
If you need to make changes in your will, you must not hand write or cross out anything in the will. Texas law dictates that changes in the will must be done in the same formality as executing the original will. If you do not follow the procedures correctly, those changes will not be accepted. The best way to handle it is to have an attorney assist you in making the changes. For simple changes, a codicil will suffice it. If changes are more complicated, an entirely new will should be executed and the old will be revoked.