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No. Absolutely no court recording is necessary for any of the documents you are preparing.
However, my concern for you is that, if you are changing the Wills, it be done correctly. Are you drafting Codicils? If so, are they in handwriting OR typed?
The Amendment to the trust is much more informal and can be done by any writing, but to make a change to the Will, you must follow certain rules when signing a Codicil. Thanks!
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Attorney
Over 12 years of practical experience in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate law.
A Codicil is the name for a document that changes a Will.
Yes, a WORD document is fine, but that means that when you and your spouse sign the Codicils, in California, you must sign in front of two (2) witnesses who receive nothing under your estate (eg: they cannot be your beneficiaries). The witnesses do not need to know the contents of the document, but they must be told that you are signing a document to reflect changes in your Wills.
After you and your spouse sign, both witnesses must sign below your signatures (eg: the two witnesses must sign the husband's Codicil under the husband's signature; and the same two witnesses must sign the wife's Codicil under the wife's signature). The two witnesses must also "print" their names and addresses under their signatures.
Only then will the Codicils be valid. If you look at your existing Wills, they should be executed in the same format that must be followed for the Codicils. Thanks!