ATTN: Attornies. Is a Last Will and Testament null and void if it's modified, dated and signed by the owner?
I modified (altered) only one paragraph in my Last Will and Testament. With that done, must I have a new Will prepared to justify any legal requirements after my death? I am a Louisiana resident.
2006-12-21T10:11:24Z
I can't believe I misspelled "attorneys." What was I thinking? I should have known better.
2006-12-21T10:14:01Z
I can't believe I misspelled "attorneys." What was I thinking? I should have known better. Thanks, Two Words, for the reminder.
2006-12-21T10:35:06Z
Jason, I have a Witnessed Will.
Jason2006-12-21T10:28:00Z
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I am not an attorney but I know there are three different types of Wills. It depends on what kind you have. A Witnessed will ( a formal typewritten document signed by the individual) wherin he/she declares in the presence of two witnesses that it is his/her will. A Holographic will is a document written, dated, and signed in it's entirety in the handwriting of the maker. It requires no witnesses. A Statutory will is a pre-printed form which is approved by the state in which the person fills in the blanks without formal legal assistance.
Laws vary from state to state.
-As far as I know, because your witnessed will was typewritten, the only way to prove you made the alteration is by having two witnesses sign after the alteration.
I only practice in Texas, but generally, if you have a will that was typed and notarized, no modification is effective unless it has the same "formalities." Your old will was not destroyed (i.e. you did not rip it into little pieces) and therefore it is probably not void, but the change you made will probably not be given effect because it was not typed and notarized. But you may be able to do a "codicil" to your will, that is typed and notarized like the original, rather than making a whole new will. The codicil would identify the original will and state the changes being made. But your attorney may be able to do a new will for about the same amount of money as doing a codicil. (And LA. law is very different in many ways, so you need to contact a local attorney to be sure.)
Matthew 5 is not the only passage about the validity of the Law of God today. Some aspects have passed away, like the ceremonial laws (i.e. sacrifices, temple worship, etc.). These are abrogated in Galatians and Hebrews, and elsewhere. Other elements of the Law of Moses are still applicable, the moral law for example (Matt 5, Rom 6-8). As to the Civic laws that you made reference to, there are a number of Christians that believe these are included in Christ’s affirmation of the Laws continuance in Matthew 5. This group is called Theonomy. Some of them would affirm the perpetuity of the slavery laws. Other Christians view the civic laws as co-extensive with the ceremonial law, and thereby has passed away.