WHEN Rachel stood in her childhood home sorting through old photo albums, her fingers paused on a wedding photo from nearly ten years ago. She and Daniel were smiling, hand in hand, captured in that fleeting moment of youth and promise.
The marriage had ended quietly three years ago, with no courtroom drama—just two people growing apart. Now, Rachel had found happiness again, not in marriage, but in a stable, committed relationship with Adam, a man who had stood by her through grief, healing, and rediscovery. What she didn’t realise, until her estate planner pointed it out, was that despite having moved forward emotionally, her legal past was still in control of her life. Her old will—Rachel’s Will, written during her marriage to Daniel—had named him as her executor and sole beneficiary.
“But I’ve divorced him,” she said, confused. “Surely that doesn’t still stand?” The estate planner explained gently. “Actually, in Malaysia, once you remarry, your old will is automatically revoked. But divorce alone is not considered a cancellation of that marriage. Since you’re not remarried and your will was created during your first marriage, it technically still stands. If anything were to happen to you now, Daniel could still inherit your estate.”
Rachel’s face dropped. The idea that Daniel, her ex-husband with whom she no longer shared a life, could end up in control of her assets instead of Adam, the man who currently meant everything to her, was jarring. Even more troubling was the fact that she had never formally named a guardian for her only daughter, whom she had been raising on her own since the divorce.
That oversight alone could lead to bitter court-appointed legal battles. “Some clients might not think beyond the major assets,” the planner said. “But relationships and values always shift. In her heart, Rachel had always envisioned Adam stepping in to raise Emma (her daughter) if anything ever happened to her, providing the love, stability, and guidance Rachel wanted.
But none of that would be possible unless she legally updated her will. Estate planning is often mistaken as a task for the wealthy or the elderly, but it’s about protecting your present. Marital changes, whether divorce, remarriage, or entering a long-term relationship, are emotional transitions — but they also trigger legal ones. A will does not update itself based on your feelings. It remains as it is unless you take action to revise it. Rachel had never thought about writing a new will after her divorce.
“I just assumed everything would go to Adam, or that it would sort itself out.” But under Malaysian law, an unmarried partner has no legal rights to your estate unless specifically named in a will. Without an updated will, Adam, despite being her closest person, could be legally sidelined, and everything she owned could be passed to someone she no longer even wants to speak to.
The fix was simple, but the implications were deep. Rachel sat down and wrote a new will. One that reflected her present life, her values, her chosen relationships. She named Adam as her beneficiary and outlined who would take care of her daughter, Emma, when she was not around. She also made provisions for some charities she supported and added a clause to ensure her digital assets — such as photos, writings, or memories — would be handled sensitively.
This act gave her peace of mind. Not because she feared the worst, but because she had finally aligned her legal intentions with the life she was living today. A will written in the past may no longer speak for the life you’re living today. In matters of love, family, and legacy, clarity is the kindest gift you can leave behind.
About Rockwills International Group
Rockwills International Group, now in its 30th year, pioneered professional will writing in 1995 and has since evolved into the leading estate planning specialist in the country. It is today the largest provider of solutions and support services in the areas of trusts, succession, management, and distribution of wealth. It has done over 320,000 wills and more than 200,000 Executor and Trustee Appointments and holds more than RM25 billion in assets under trust.