Something for nothing? Charity ~ 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. Fern Wills and LPAs have recommended charities or can help you to support your preference pf charity.

Leaving 10% of an estate reduces the hated  inheritance Tax, a win/win.

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. 

See our offers and charity page for more information.