Dundee Family Lawyer

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10% Rise in Number of Charities Named in Wills

Research conducted by Remember a Charity and Smee & Ford, has revealed that the number of charities being remembered in UK wills is on the rise. There was an increase of 10% in the last year.

The research found that of the 9,910 charities named in wills, 45% of them had not been mentioned in a will before.
A spokesman from Smee & Ford said, “Considering the whole charitable population totalling over 180,000 organisations in the UK, it is true that there is a small group which attract the majority of bequests. However our research shows that annually there are up to ten thousand charities mentioned in wills which is much broader than we initially perceived.”

Many people have welcomed the news that small charities as well as large, well known causes are being remembered in people's wills.

Writing a Will

The main benefit of writing a will is that it allows you to communicate what you want to happen to your money, home and possessions after you die. There may be a charity that you cared a lot about throughout your life, such as an animal charity or a particular area of medical research. Many charities rely on the donations they receive from their supporter’s estates.

Writing a will also gives you the opportunity to state who you would like your executor to be. This is the person who will carry out the administration of your estate, including settling any outstanding debts, making a calculation of all the estate assets and paying beneficiaries.

Usually, when there is a valid will in place, the estate can be wound up quickly and beneficiaries can be paid. This can help a grieving family move on from their loss.

Sadly, things are not so straightforward when a person dies intestate (without a will). When there is no valid will in place, the estate will be split up according to the laws of intestacy. These are a strict set of rules which state the order in which family members will inherit from the estate. The way that these rules split up the estate may not reflect the wishes of the person who died.

Writing a will is the best way to avoid these problems. Contact our team today to discuss writing a will.

Contact Family Law Dundee

Family Law Dundee are a team of dedicated and friendly family lawyers. We handle every enquiry with confidentiality and care. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.

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