Making a Will
Why make a will?
All of us need to make a will at some point in our lives. It’s the best way we can safeguard everyone’s future and ensure our assets and possessions go to the people and causes that matter to us the most.
Having a will in place also makes things easier for those left behind. If you have children it helps you to safeguard their future by providing for them financially and where necessary gives you the opportunity to appoint a legal guardian for their future care. There could also be some financial benefits and with your solicitor’s help you may be able to reduce the inheritance tax payable on your estate.
Updating your will
After you have made a will keeping it up to date is very important – it puts you in control of what happens after your death, and is the only way you can be sure your loved ones, and the causes you care about, will get the gifts you intend for them.
After you have made your will it is vital that you review it regularly to ensure that it reflects your current wishes and circumstances. You may wish to review your will any time that a significant event or change in circumstances in your life occurs. For instance, you may need to change your will if you have got married, divorced, moved house or there has been a death of a friend or family member.
If you should die without making a will (in legal terms this is called dying intestate), the law will determine how your property and possessions (your estate) is divided which can cause great uncertainty and distress for everyone concerned. By making a will you will help to ensure that your exact wishes will be carried out, helping to ensure that your final estate is distributed to your beneficiaries in exactly the way that you want it to be.
If your circumstances do change, minor alterations to a will are easy to make. If you are adding a gift to KIDS to an existing will you can use a codicil which is an addition to your will so that you can alter it without needing to make a completely new will.
Codicil form
A codicil should be kept in a safe place along with the will it changes. If you would like to add KIDS to your existing will, please complete the codicil form below and take it along to your solicitor.
All the information you need on how to make a will and on leaving a legacy can be found in our following guides.
Guide to making a Will
Can we help you?
If you are thinking of making or amending your will, KIDS would always advise you to speak to a solicitor, but our small Legacies Team can also help answer many of the questions you may have about KIDS and making a will. Some of the ways we can help you include:
Explain how your gift can make a difference to the lives of disabled children and young people
Arranging for you to see one of over 100 KIDS projects, meet a project worker and see first hand the difference your support makes to a disabled child’s lives
Tell you more about the different types of legacy gifts
Help you to find a solicitor
Answer any other questions that you might have
KIDS’ guide to making a will
We know that making a will can often be a daunting task, so to make the process easier KIDS has produced ahandy guide which provides all the information you need to know.
Guide to making a Will
For more information about legacies, or if you would like to let us know that you have remembered KIDS in your will, please complete and submit our online contact form, email legacies@kids.org.uk or contact Catherine, our Legacies Manager on 020 7359 3635.
