Leaving a gift in your Will to Leicester Animal Aid can help us to continue our valuble work now and in the future.

Some good reasons why you should make a Will

It is important that you make a Will as this is a legal expression of your last wishes. If you do not make a Will, the assets in your estate will be divided among any relatives according to a legal formula. Those who you would like to benefit may not receive anything or if you have no relatives everything you have when you die will go to the State.

Making a Will is easy. There are lots of books on the market to help you. You can do it yourself although a home-made effort can sometimes mean an expensive disaster if it isn’t done properly. It is usually far better to see a Solicitor, or official Will writer, and make sure that everything is done properly.

Remember though, if you make a Will when you are single, it is automatically revoked when you marry, so you must then make a new Will.

Where do I start?

The first step is to prepare a list of your assets and liabilities. To help you, you can download this checksheet.  Then draw up a list of the people to whom you wish to leave your possessions. If you are intending to leave money to charity, your solicitor or Will writer will have a directory of charities. You will need to appoint at least one Executor (the person whose duty it is to carry out your wishes after your death). This can be a professional person, such as a Solicitor, or may be a trusted friend. It will save time (and money) when you see a Solicitor or Will writer if you have clearly thought everything through beforehand. When the Will has been prepared, your Solicitor will ask you to check the contents to make sure you are absolutely happy with it. You then have to sign your Will in the presence of two witnesses. Your Solicitor or Will writer can keep your Will in a strongroom. If you prefer to keep it yourself, make sure it is stored in a safe place and that a friend or relative knows where it is kept.

You may want to check the contents of your Will from time to time, in case you want to make any changes. If you want to make some minor changes, this can be done by a codicil (which is an ammendment to your Will and must be signed and witnessed). You don’t need to make a new Will.

Leaving money to charity

If you do intend to leave money to charity in your Will, then it is important that the correct name, address and charity number are quoted in your Will. Your Solicitor or Will writer will be able to advise if you aren’t sure of the details. This is really important as there might be another charity with a similar name.

A registered charity is exempt from capital gains and inheritance taxes. A gift by Will to Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association, or any other registered charity, would therefore be tax-free and benefit the charity greatly without placing a burden on your estate.  Download our information about Inheritance Tax.

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If you are thinking of leaving a gift in your Will to Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association, and would like to discuss this further, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Alternatively, if you would just like to come and have a look round, you are most welcome to do so. We are open to visitors every day from 10am to 2.30 pm.