Remember a Charity publishes NEW free resource to help charities choose a suitable Will-writing partner.
Will to Give welcomes the guidance published on Friday 26th April by Remember a Charity.
(The following article is aimed at our charity and fundraising community.)
More and more charities in Northern Ireland are partnering with Will-writers with the aim of helping their supporter database access legal advice.
The hope is to encouarge their supporters to consider leaving a gift in their Will by giving them the opportunity or mechanism to actually prepare their Will with legal advice.
Although this can and does work very well for a number of charities. Will-writing encompasses a broad range of services with many Will-types on offer depending on an individuals set of circumstances.
It is essential that charities understand the level of legal advice provided by their partner and that the client or supporter understands the extent of the legal advice they are being given.
As highlighted by Remember a Charity –
A Will that lacks rigour can mean that assets may not be allocated as as intended and is more likely to be disuputed.
Rob Cope, director of Remember A Charity, says: “With Will-writing options changing rapidly, especially in the online market, we are seeing growing opportunities for charities to reach out to new audiences.
However, with such a diverse range of providers on offer, and an as-yet unregulated Will-writing marketplace, it is imperative that charities choose who they work with carefully.
“This advice helps charities identify the questions they need to ask when making that choice in order to form a proper assessment of potential partners, identifying what service will be the best fit for their needs.”
To help charities assess both the opportunities and the risks to make the right choice for their needs and those of their supporters, Remember a Charity has developed a brief guide and checklist for selecting a Will-writing partner and a directory of some of the most well-known Will-writing firms.
Before choosing a Will-writing partner, charities are encouraged to:
1. Consider how the Will-writing service is delivered and regulated.
2. Consider if the provider has the expertise to handle complex estates and at what level qualified legal professionals are involved in the process.
3. Understand the steps the provider is taking to ensure clinets have mental capacity to make a Will and how they guard against undue influence of others.
The resources have been developed with support from the Institute of Legacy Management. Matthew Lagden, CEO of the Institute of Legacy Management, adds:
“With contested Wills having risen significantly since 2016, it is becoming ever more important that charities offering Will-writing services work with a suitable partner to provide a service that protects both supporters and estate beneficiaries as well as themselves, and reduces the risk of dispute.
These resources from Remember A Charity will help charities make informed choices and form strong partnerships that enable them to do just that.”
Read the original article here.
For more information see Choosing the right Will-writing part on the Remember a Charity website.
