Free Will Service

Our Free Will Service is available for all members of staff, volunteers, supporters, family members and friends who are over the age of 18 and live in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Due to law variations in Scotland and Northern Ireland it is not currently possible to write Wills online in these areas. You can however use the phone or in person options.

Everyone over the age of 18 would benefit from having a Will.

Particular milestones that a Will is often required to be written or updated are:

• Getting married/civil partnership
• When you have an unmarried partner who should inherit from your estate
• Having children / additional children
• Moving house
• Divorce
• Retirement
• Death of a loved one
• When you want to make provisions for stepchildren, foster children or dependents

A simple Will is a legal document that states who will inherit your assets and belongings after you pass away. Making a simple Will doesn't have to be complicated, and having one gives you the peace of mind of knowing that your wishes are carried out. 

Complex Wills are, as the name suggests, more complex than simple Wills. They may include things like Special Disability Trusts and Testamentary Trusts.

A complex Will provides the testator with much more in-depth ways to distribute their estate. You can discuss this by phone with Farewill for free, or with your chosen solicitor from the National Free Wills Network (additional fees may be applicable).

If you have any questions, please contact Clare Norman on 020 3242 0418 or email giftsinwills@leonardcheshire.org.

When a person dies without leaving a valid Will, their property (the estate) must be shared out according to certain rules. These are called the rules of intestacy. A person who dies without leaving a Will is called an intestate person.

If you die without a Will or it is not valid (it is not correctly signed or witnessed) your estate is intestate and the law decides on who inherits your estate, which may not be what you want to happen.

If you and your partner aren’t married or in a civil partnership, your partner will not have a right to inherit if you don’t have a Will.

If you don’t have a Will, the intestate administration following your death can get especially complicated and can be costly, time consuming and even contentious for your loved ones at a particularly difficult time for them. 

It is worth reviewing your Will regularly to make sure it is still aligned with your wishes.

Any gifts left to charities, including Leonard Cheshire, may reduce, or even eliminate your Inheritance tax liability. Gifts to charities are 100% tax free.

Leaving 10% or more of your net estate to charities will reduce IHT on the remainder of your estate from 40% to 36%.

Please be aware that these rates may be subject to change and Inheritance tax is a complex and often changing area of law, so we do advise speaking with a professional, or visit the HMRC website to find out more at hmrc.gov.uk.

If you leave a gift to Leonard Cheshire and would like this to be used in a particular area of our work, geographical area, or service, you can indicate this within your Will.

We would ask that you express this as a non-binding wish. We will endeavour to fulfil your wishes, but if this is not possible, we will spend the funds as near as we can to the wishes expressed to ensure it affects the disabled persons you wish to support.

Some suggested wording:

“I give to Leonard Cheshire registered charity no: 218186 (England & Wales) and no: SC005117 (Scotland) of 66 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1RL, the sum of [insert amount in words] pounds [£xx] and I express the wish (but without imposing any binding obligation) that this be used to supporting disabled people in [enter area of area of work, service or geographical area]."

or “I give to Leonard Cheshire registered charity no: 218186 (England & Wales) and no: SC005117 (Scotland) of 66 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1RL [enter number] per cent of my residuary estate and I express the wish (but without imposing any binding obligation) that such estate be used in equal shares to support disabled people in [enter area of area of work, service or geographical area]."​​​​​​​

If you do wish to restrict your gift, it is a good idea to speak with a member of the team to support your wishes. Please contact Clare Norman on 020 3242 0418 or email giftsinwills@leonardcheshire.org.