Make a Will Week

Posted on April 23, 2019 in General
Share this article:

Between 13-17 May 2019, St Luke's Hospice Plymouth will be running their Make a Will Week campaign. We are proud to be one of the local 15 solicitors giving up our time to offer our services for updating or writing Wills. All we ask is for our clients to make a suggested donation of £100 to our Charity of the year, St Luke's Hospice Plymouth.

What is Make a Will Week?

Make a Will Week is essentially a week where local law firms offer their time to update or write your Wills. Instead of paying us, for one week only, we ask you to donate the cost of your Will to St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth, our chosen Charity of the Year for 2019.

We suggest a donation of £100 for a standard single Will and £150 for a standard mirror Will. For any queries about this, please contact our Client Co-Ordinators.

Why is making a Will so important?

Making a Will is something we all should do, however, it is something that no one likes to think or talk about. Here at Wolferstans we think that having an up to date Will is so important that we offer free Will reviews to both existing and new clients of the firm. We will only charge if a new document needs to be prepared.

There are many reasons why you should make a Will but here are our top five reasons:

A Will ensures that your estate is distributed in accordance with your wishes. If you die without leaving a Will, or leaving an invalid Will, your estate will pass by intestacy which can be a complex process and may mean that your estate passes to estranged family members;
In your Will you can appoint Guardians to care for your minor children should those with parental responsibility die before the children reach the age of 18. This allows you to choose who would be responsible for your children, rather than someone making that difficult decision for you, once you have died;
You can decide who you wish to deal with your estate on your death. In your Will, you can appoint executors who are responsible for collecting in assets, paying any debts and distributing your estate in accordance with your Will. You can ensure that this person is someone who is honest and trustworthy. If you die without a Will, the law sets out who should deal with your affairs and similarly to above, estranged family members may be appointed to administer your estate on your death;
You can include specific gifts of items or money in your Will to whoever you wish, such as family members, friends, and charities. These gifts are legally binding and your executor is responsible for ensuring that the beneficiary receives the gift. Without a Will, you would not be able to ensure that your items, such as personal belongings, are passed to the relevant beneficiary;
As long as you have the capacity to do so, you can change your Will as many times as you wish. This allows flexibility and can reflect any wishes which may change during your life time.

How will your donation help St Luke's Hospice Plymouth?

The donations St Luke’s Hospice receive through Make a Will Week will go towards their expert compassionate care team and will enable them to continue to be there for terminally ill people in the community. They will ensure every precious moment counts for them and their loved ones.

If you are kind enough to leave a legacy for St Luke’s in your Will, this donation will help St Luke’s come alongside future generations of local families when they need their support the most.

If you are interested in updating or making your Will and would like to do this during our Make a Will Week (13-17 May 2019) then please contact our team to book an appointment quoting ‘St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth Make a Will Week’.