Something for nothing? Free Wills & Storage.

When you consider a Free Will funded by charities, hoping that a legacy will be left in the Will or anticipating a donation to the charity when the Will is made, this sounds like a "win-win."

The 'free' offer usually only applies to a Basic Will, which rarely meets the needs of anyone with children, property, or marriage. Therefore, you have to choose: do you get a Will that does not match your needs, or upgrade to a Will Trust and pay solicitors' rates? By the time you have paid the solicitor and made a donation, you will often end up paying more than if you had it done independently with you as the focus. This decision could have significant consequences for your loved ones, so it's important to think carefully. 

THE SOLUTION

You can always leave a donation to charity but on your terms, without obligation or guilt. The Remember a Charity Scheme (RAC), promotes "Willanthropy". 

‘Willanthropy’ seeks to overcome a big misconception: you need to be wealthy to leave a gift to charity in your Will. The number of adults aged 40+ who have left a gift to charity in their Will has risen by 43% in the past decade – a steady increase in the proportion of people choosing to give from their Will over time. After taking care of family and friends, even leaving a small gift in a Will could help make a huge impact on charities big and small.  

A reasonably priced Will that matches your needs first whilst leaving a legacy that Will help others and in some circumstances save Inheritance Tax.

For more information, see Willanthropy, the act of leaving a gift to charity in your Will (rememberacharity.org.uk)

FREE STORAGE

When it comes to Will storage, serious consideration should be given to the value attached to free storage. With a paid package, you should look for benefits like certification of safe storage, scanned copies on file, whether a dedicated team of staff is on hand to answer storage questions, what the return costs are on the testator's death, and where the documents are held.

In the past, the SWW has rescued Will banks from defunct companies and, in doing so, has seen where some documents have been stored. A terrible but true example was when they collected a small Will bank from a downstairs toilet. Firstly, if you’re paying for storage, you would presumably never pay to have your Will stored in a downstairs toilet, which could be at risk of flooding and probably lack relevant fire safety standards.

THE SOLUTION

Fern Wills & LPAs uses independent, world-class storage at discounted rates, which means your documents will be in safe custody. The dedicated team can help executors easily retrieve documents when the time comes.