EXORDIUM CLAUSE

A clause most often at the opening of a will that declares that the document is a will and effectively lays out to the readers a few basic premises upon which the rest of the document is based. Contents of an exordium clause are likely to include:

1. Identity of the person who has left the will.
2. The name of the place of residence of that person.
3. A revocation of all previous wills made by that person existing before the date that the current will was produced.
4. Declaration that the current document is the will belonging to the named person.

The exordium clause may also include an identification of certain relatives of the person who passed away and a list of the beneficiaries of the will. The clause serves to arrange the arguments for the will and identify the people and entities that are likely to play a key role in the procedures to follow.