The Importance of Making a Will
Making a will is the only way to make sure that your wishes are carried out after your death. Yet two thirds of the population still fail to make a will and this can cause a great deal of uncertainty for family and friends at a time of heartache and distress.
Without a valid will, the law decides what should happen to your estate. This might mean your estate passing to relatives to whom you did not intend leaving anything. If you die without making a will it is possible that your spouse will only inherit a portion of your estate and that the rest will be divided between your children and/or other relatives.
Unmarried couples who live together need to remember that they will not automatically inherit anything from each other. By law, only married couples are recognised as having any rights over each other’s property.
It is important to make a will to protect those you love and it is relatively inexpensive and straightforward. Once you are happy that your family and friends have been cared for, you may also like to leave a legacy to Age Concern Bristol (registered charity number 1042548). As a local, independent charity, Age Concern Bristol is responsible for raising all of its own funds from a range of different sources. However, in the current financial climate, it is getting increasingly difficult to secure the vital funding that we need to run our vital services. Leaving a legacy, whatever the size, is a fantastic way to make a direct contribution to the future of Age Concern Bristol. Legacies are invaluable to our organisation as they have no restrictions so can be fed directly to the services most in need of financial support. Because charitable legacies are also exempt from Inheritance Tax, every penny of your gift will go to funding our work with older people in Bristol.
If you already have a will, you can make changes by adding a codicil (a legal addition) which your solicitor will help you to draw up.
Wards Solicitors runs a Wills Service from our office on the last Friday of every month where you can get your will prepared in return for a donation to Age Concern Bristol. Make an appointment by contacting our Information and Advice Service on 0117 922 5353.