Deed of Variation

You can apply for a deed of variation if you have received a gift under the will or intestacy rules (these are the rules that must be followed if no will has been left) and you wish to direct the gift to another person. The inheritance doesn’t have to be redirected to another person who is named under the will. For a deed of variation to be valid, it must be made within 2 years after the death of the deceased.

The decision to redirect a gift under the will or intestacy rules can be for many reasons, but changes are most often made to provide for someone who was left out of the will or to balance the beneficiaries interests, for example, if one child received more than another child. A decision to redirect inheritance can also occur if circumstances have changed since the will was drafted, but the will has not been updated to include the changes.