Will Aid is a partnership between solicitors and 9 UK charities. The campaign puts you in touch with participating solicitors who will draw up a basic Will free of charge during November. In return for this service, the solicitors hope you will choose to donate to the Will Aid charities the fee they would normally charge.

The suggested donation level is: £75 for a single Will, £110 for a pair
of matching or ‘mirror’ Wills, or £40 for a change or codicil to an
existing will. This provides a fantastic opportunity for people to put their affairs in order and help others at the same time.

Will Aid is supported by TV celebrity, Graham Norton. He says,

“The
only way to ensure the people you love are provided for when you die is
to have a proper Will. Living together, even for years and years, gives
you no inheritance rights and if one partner dies without a Will, the
other may be left with nothing – not even the shared home. Even married
couples and civil partners are vulnerable. If there isn’t a Will, the
surviving partner may only inherit a proportion of the estate. So don’t
tempt fate – make a Will with Will Aid in November.”

Making a
Will and keeping it up-to-date is an important way of protecting family
and loved ones in the future. This year, people should take advantage
of Will Aid to review their arrangements, especially since the
Chancellor announced changes to the Inheritance Tax (“IHT”) rules.
These changes, which were incorporated in this year’s Budget, should
reduce the tax burden on married and civil partnership couples or at
least enable many Wills to be simplified, bringing more within the
scope of a Will Aid basic Will.

Will Aid solicitor David Sinclair says, “Will
Aid is a great campaign and one I am proud to be a part of. It provides
you with an excellent opportunity to either make a Will for the first
time or amend your existing Will in light of these changes. Most
importantly the donation for making or amending your Will goes to the
Will Aid charities.”

Since its launch in 1988, the scheme has
raised almost £7m in donations and very much more in legacies. The
money raised is shared between the participating charities: ActionAid,
British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Help the Aged, NSPCC, Save the
Children UK, Sight Savers International, SCIAF and Trocaire.

In
the last campaign, more than 7,000 people were motivated to make their
Will with Will Aid and they donated almost £700,000 for the Will Aid
charities. They also pledged millions more in legacies to the Will Aid
charities and other causes.

Make your Will with a Will Aid
solicitor this November, and make a real difference to people in need
in the UK and around the world, helping to transform the lives of
children, families, elderly people and whole communities. Take the
opportunity to leave a legacy to your favourite charity and you will be
ensuring their good work can continue for years to come. And, most
importantly, you will be ensuring the security of your own loved ones.

Prospective
will-makers can find a convenient participating solicitor by using the
Find a Solicitor function on the Will Aid website www.willaid.org.uk or
by contacting the hotline 0300 0300 013. They can then make their
appointment by email or telephone.

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