Have you registered your Will to ensure your family can find it following your death?
Wills are written to ensure that your last wishes are carried out and your assets and estate are distributed as specified. But would you know where to find your loved one’s Will?
By making a Will with Will Aid it is simple to keep the legal document safe as it can be registered for free with The National Will Register.
Registering your Will ensures that if a Will is lost, misplaced or forgotten over the passing of time, its location can be easily identified.
Peter de Vena Franks, campaign director for Will Aid, said: “It is a fact that not being able to locate a Will causes untold stress and potential financial loss for relatives or beneficiaries.
“Will Aid is proud to have teamed up with The National Will Register for several years to remove the risk that the Will cannot be found and avoids the unnecessary stress this can cause.
“To continue our work in supporting our nine incredible charities and to keep meeting the ever-growing demand for Wills, we need more solicitors on board for the 2019 campaign.”
A recent survey revealed that 67% of people did not know where to find their parents’ Wills, even though the majority are filed in a solicitor’s office.
Robert Brown, Co-Founder from The National Will Register which is endorsed by the Law Society of England and Wales, said: “Registering your Will on The National Will Register provides certainty that in the event of your death, your Will can be located, and your final wishes can be carried out.
“By teaming up with Will Aid, The National Will Register is supporting a wonderful charity initiative which helps so many year on year.”
During November, hundreds of solicitors give up their time and skills to write Wills for people waiving their usual fees, and instead inviting clients to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid.
Wills written as part of Will Aid are registered for free on The National Will Register by the participating solicitors.
Instead of asking for their normal fee, the participating solicitors ask for a suggested donation of £100 for a single Will or £180 for a pair of mirrored Wills.
More than £20 million has been raised since Will Aid started in 1988 with the donations supporting the vital work of nine of the UK’s best loved charities – ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (Northern Ireland).
To get involved, visit www.willaid.org.uk
For more information about registering your Will on the National Will Register, visit: https://www.willaid.org.uk/will-makers/certainty
This article was written in conjunction with Will Aid.