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Writing or amending a will can be fairly simple and inexpensive, and makes sure that your wishes will be followed. The information below should help answer any questions you have.

How do I write a will?

Lifelites provides a free will writing service for any of our supporters who wish to write a will. Please contact us by emailing sdavies@lifelites.org or calling 0207 440 4200 to find out more. 

Alternatively, there are three options when it comes to writing wills. You can ask a solicitor, contact a local will writing service, or do it yourself – it is recommended that you seek professional legal advice to ensure that your will is legal and your wishes are made clear.  You will need to consider who you want to benefit from your will, who will be responsible for any children under 18, and who will sort out your estate and carry out your wishes after your death (your executor).

You will also need to consider where you will store your will. This could be with your solicitor, your bank, the London Probate service, or a company that offers the storage of wills.

If you don’t have a will, you can find a solicitor in your area:

• Law Society (England and Wales) – 020 7242 1222
• Law Society of Scotland – 0131 226 7411
• Law Society of Northern Ireland – 028 9023 1614

How do I amend an existing will?

You can use a codicil to do this. This is a short legal form which adds a new instruction to your will, without changing the terms of your current will. You can do this yourself but it is recommended that you seek expert advice to make sure everything is filled out correctly. The codicil must be kept with your will.

For more complex changes, it is recommend that you consider getting your will redrafted and get in touch with your solicitor or the service that helped you to write your will.

What types of gift can I leave in my will?

There are three types of gift you can leave in your will.

• A share of your estate (or residuary gift): After you have provided for your loved ones, you can choose to leave a share of what is left to charity.
• A cash gift (or pecuniary gift): You can leave a fixed sum of money
• A specific gift: You can choose to leave a specific named item, for example, a piece of jewellery, shares, or other gifts.

Are there are tax benefits if I leave a charitable gift in my will?

Your donation will either:

• Be taken off the value of your estate before inheritance tax is calculated
• Reduce your Inheritance tax rate if more than 10% of your estate is left to charity

How can I leave a gift in my will to Lifelites?

If you wish to leave a gift in your will to Lifelites, you will simply need to ask your solicitor or will writer to include Lifelites’ details. The information you will need is:

Lifelites
26 Great Queen Street
London, WC2B 5BL

Charity number: 1165791

Please get in contact with us

If you have any more questions you can get in touch with Lifelites by emailing sdavies@lifelites.org or calling 0207 440 4200 and speaking to Samuel Davies.