Where the wording of the will clearly and unambiguously reflects the intention of the testator, however, the position is otherwise, for the court will not as a general rule vary the terms of a will which can be carried out and are not illegal or contrary to public policy, unless authorized by statute to do so. The general rule is that the courts are very reluctant to alter a will. Nevertheless, the court does have a discretion, albeit a very limited one, to order a variation in truly exceptional cases, such as where there has been an unforeseen change of circumstances since the death of the testator, rendering the fulfilment of his directions practically impossible or utterly unreasonable, or which "threatens to make a shipwreck of the testator’s intention."Chapman v Chapman.
