853.11 Revocation.

(1) Revocation by writing.

(a) A will is revoked in whole or in part by a subsequent will that is executed in compliance with s. 853.03 or 853.05 and that revokes the prior will or a part thereof expressly or by inconsistency.

(bm)

1. A subsequent will wholly revokes the prior will if the testator intended the subsequent will to replace rather than supplement the prior will, regardless of whether the subsequent will expressly revokes the prior will.

2. The testator is presumed to have intended a subsequent will to replace, rather than supplement, the prior will if the subsequent will completely disposes of the testator's estate. If this presumption arises and is not rebutted by clear and convincing evidence, the prior will is revoked.

3. The testator is presumed to have intended a subsequent will to supplement, rather than replace, the prior will if the subsequent will does not completely dispose of the testator's estate. If this presumption arises and is not rebutted by clear and convincing evidence, the subsequent will revokes the prior will only to the extent of any inconsistency.

(1m) Revocation by physical act. A will is revoked in whole or in part by burning, tearing, canceling, obliterating or destroying the will, or part, with the intent to revoke, by the testator or by some person in the testator's conscious presence and by the testator's direction.

(2m) Premarital or predomestic partnership will. Entitlements of a surviving spouse or surviving domestic partner under a decedent's will that was executed before marriage to the surviving spouse or before recording of the domestic partnership under ch. 770 are governed by s. 853.12.

(3) Transfer to former spouse or former domestic partner. A transfer under a will to a former spouse or former domestic partner is governed by s. 854.15.

(3m) Intentional killing of decedent by beneficiary. If a beneficiary under a will killed the decedent, the rights of that beneficiary are governed by s. 854.14.

(4) Other methods of revocation. A will is revoked only as provided in this section.

(5) Dependent relative revocation. Except as modified by sub. (6) this section is not intended to change in any manner the doctrine of dependent relative revocation.

(6) Revival of revoked will.

(a) If a subsequent will that partly revoked a previous will is itself revoked by a revocatory act under sub. (1m), the revoked part of the previous will is revived. This paragraph does not apply if it is evident from the circumstances of the revocation of the subsequent will or from the testator's contemporary or subsequent declarations that the testator did not intend the revoked part of the previous will to take effect as executed.

(b) If a subsequent will that wholly revoked a previous will is itself revoked by a revocatory act under sub. (1m), the previous will remains revoked unless it is revived. The previous will is revived if it is evident from the circumstances of the revocation of the subsequent will or from the testator's contemporary or subsequent declarations that the testator intended the previous will to take effect as executed.

(c) If a subsequent will that wholly or partly revoked a previous will is itself revoked by another, later will, the previous will or its revoked part remains revoked, unless it or its revoked part is revived. The previous will or its revoked part is revived to the extent that it appears from the terms of the later will, or from the testator's contemporary or subsequent declarations, that the testator intended the previous will or its revoked part to take effect.

(d) In the absence of an original valid will, the execution and validity of the revived will or part may be established as provided in s. 856.17.

History: 1981 c. 228; 1983 a. 186; 1987 a. 222; 1993 a. 486; 1997 a. 188; 2005 a. 216 s. 75; 2005 a. 216; 2009 a. 28.

When a 16-year-old will could not be found, revocation by destruction was presumed despite an expression of satisfaction with the will 6 years before death. Estate of Fonk, 51 Wis. 2d 339, 187 N.W.2d 147.