A codicil is best described as which of the following?

A codicil is best described as which of the following?

• A. A separate will executed later
• B. A revocation by destruction
• C. A subsequent instrument, partial or complete
• D. A living will

Answer: (C)

A codicil is an amendment to an existing will. It allows you to change specific provisions—such as bequests, the named executor, or guardianship—without drafting an entirely new will. A codicil can affect part of the will or the whole document, and it must be executed with the same formalities as the original will so it can be read together with or as part of the will. It is not a separate new will, nor is it a method of revoking a will by destruction, and it isn’t a living will, which deals with medical decisions. So the best description is that a codicil is a subsequent instrument, partial or complete, that amends the will.

A codicil is an amendment to an existing will. It allows you to change specific provisions—such as bequests, the named executor, or guardianship—without drafting an entirely new will. A codicil can affect part of the will or the whole document, and it must be executed with the same formalities as the original will so it can be read together with or as part of the will. It is not a separate new will, nor is it a method of revoking a will by destruction, and it isn’t a living will, which deals with medical decisions. So the best description is that a codicil is a subsequent instrument, partial or complete, that amends the will.