Why make a will?
A will gives you peace of mind; you can plan for the future of
those you care about and know that your affairs will be handled
according to your wishes. A will can also avoid or minimise costly
inheritance tax payments and ensure that your loved ones will not
face distressing legal disputes. Legacies to charity are tax-free,
so any such gift you leave will reduce the amount of your estate
on which inheritance tax may be payable.
How to make your will
Do consult a solicitor or reputable will-making agency rather than
rely on a "home-made" will. It will probably cost less
than you think.
Before you see your professional advisor, it will be helpful
to have thought about a few points:-
- Who will be your executors - the people to carry out the wishes
expressed in your will.
- The value of your estate (your total possessions) as this may
affect the way your will is drawn up
- Correct names and addresses of the people and organisations
you wish to benefit will save time
- How you want to leave gifts in your will.
Naturally, you will want to provide first for your family
and friends and your advisor will tell you how to do this. You
might then like to leave a legacy to Against Breast Cancer.
Keeping your will safe
Your professional advisor will draw up your will and arrange for
it to be signed and witnessed. He or she may also arrange for its
storage. Tell a family member or friend where it is kept. You will
usually be given a copy for your own records, which you should check
occasionally to see that it still reflects your wishes.
Changing your will
Changing your will can be done as often as you like. Small changes
can usually be made by a codicil, an additional document stored
with your will. So if you have already made a will and would now
like to make a bequest to Against Breast Cancer, it should be a
fairly simple matter for which your advisor should only make a small
charge.
How your will can help Against Breast Cancer
The different types of bequests you can make will all help
in our fight against breast cancer:-
- A specific item of your personal possessions.
- A gift of a fixed cash sum This can
diminish in value over the years through inflation, however.
- The remainder or part of the remainder
of your estate after other bequests (if any) have been dealt with.
This is the most valuable way to help Against Breast Cancer as
such a gift is inflation-proof.
- A donation in memory - not strictly
a bequest of your own property, but a useful way to help us. You
can ask in your will that any donations in your memory should
be made to Against Breast Cancer. We can also send you a form
to put with your will requesting this.
Tell us about Your Legacy by clicking here.
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