There are many stages during your life when you feel you may need to write a Will or amend an existing Will.

Having a Will means that, when the time comes, your wishes will be honoured.

Having a Will makes it easier and less stressful for your family – especially when they are dealing with practicalities as well as their grief.

Frequently asked questions

Many people do not think they need a Will, however without one your assets will be distributed according to inheritance laws. This means that they may not go to the people or organisations you hoped they would.  Here’s why a Will is important:

  1. You are able to control who inherits your estate – your Will records your wishes so that your executors and family know what you would like to be done with your estate.  A well-drafted Will can empower you to leave gifts to friends, other family members, or charities as well as making provision for your loved ones.
  2. You will avoid the intestacy rules  – if you pass away without making a Will, your estate will be divided and distributed in accordance with rules set out by an Act of Parliament. These rules are called the intestacy rules which provide for an individual’s closest blood relatives to inherit in a specific order. If no surviving relatives can be located, your estate will pass to the Crown.
  3. It significantly reduces the stress of your next of kin  – it can become very stressful to manage and distribute an estate at an already emotionally heightened time. Your loved ones will have to make many difficult decisions during the probate process but writing a Will recording your wishes will help to ease their stress.
  4. Provision for the care of your children – anyone who has a child should make a Will confirming the appointment of guardians for the child in the event that both parents pass away before that child reaches the age of 18.
  5. Your funeral requests can be made clear  – you will be able to set out the kind of funeral you would like (such as a burial, cremation or a woodland burial) and even include details and special provisions such as the songs to be played, donations in lieu of flowers or even a dress code.
  6. Record wishes in relation to dealing with your body  – a Will is a helpful place to record any wishes you have relating to your body, such as donating organs after you pass away or donating your body to scientific research or education.
  7. Provision for your pets  – in your Will, you can include provisions for your pets, such as who will look after them, leaving a gift for their care and setting out instructions about how you wish for them to be cared for.
  8. It may reduce your inheritance tax  – you can take advantage of inheritance tax efficiencies in relation to your estate. At present you won’t be taxed if your estate is worth £325,000 or less. You may also receive the “Residence Nil Rate Band” which applies to the value of your home up to £175,000 if you leave it to your lineal descendants. Anything above this amount will be taxed at a flat rate of 40%. There are also certain inheritance tax exemptions and reliefs, which depend on who you leave your estate to and sometimes it depends on what assets you own when you pass away. A Will can help to ensure you are taking full advantage of exemptions, reliefs and your Nil Rate Bands.
  9. You can protect someone’s rights or create a trust – the intestacy rules only allow for inheritance by your closest blood relatives. If you would like to make any special provision, such as allowing someone to occupy your home after you pass away or appoint someone to look after funds on behalf of someone else then this can be achieved in your Will. The latter may be particularly relevant if any person in your family has a disability, in which case it may be sensible to set up a trust in their favour rather than give them a portion of your estate outright.

As a Will is a legal document, we recommend using a professional solicitor or a trained professional to write or update your Will. You may already have your own solicitor that you want to use, or you can contact the Law Society to find a qualified solicitor in your area.

Or you can write your Will with our free Will services, which allows you to make or amend your Will all year round at zero cost. It gives you the opportunity to include a gift to Chailey heritage Foundation, though there is no obligation to do so.

To access the free Will writing service call Britton & Time on 0203 007 5500, and let them know you are a Chailey Heritage Foundation supporter

There are three main types of gifts in Wills. These are: specific gifts, pecuniary gifts and residuary gifts.

Specific Gifts – this is when you leave a gift of a particular item that you own, such as a family heirloom, an item of jewellery or a piece of furniture or artwork. You can choose to give certain items to a defined person or to be shared among a group of people.

Pecuniary Gifts – this is an expressly stated sum of money which is given to an identified person or an organisation, such as a charity.

Residuary Gifts – this is a percentage of your estate once all other payments and gifts to loved ones has been made. This can be left to a person, a group of people or an organisation.

We always advise that you speak to a legal professional to check the wording of your Will to ensure that your wishes will be carried out and that there is no ambiguity.

If you have generously chosen to leave a gift in your Will to Chailey, you will need to include our name, registered charity number and address:

Registered charity No: 1075837

Chailey Heritage Foundation, Haywards Heath Road, North Chailey, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 4EF.

Yes, of course. However, we ask that you do not restrict your gift too tightly as in the future we may not be running that specific project. This is because we are always responding to the changing needs of children, young people and their families. We recommend that you express your wishes in the form of a non-binding wish by saying “it is my wish but without creating any legally binding obligation that…”

Gifts in Wills are not only vital to our daily work, but they help us to plan for the future too

Your gift helps provide a thriving community of support for children like Malachi, helping them to achieve things they never thought possible.

Leaving a gift in your Will to Chailey Heritage Foundation couldn’t be simpler

  1. Value your estate – take into account property, investments and any debts.
  2. Think about your beneficiaries – the family, friends and charities you want to remember in your Will.
  3. Choose your executors – the people responsible for ensuring that your wishes are followed.
  4. Speak to a solicitor – to have your Will written or amended.  We offer a free Will service, where you write or amend your Will all year round at zero cost, through Britton & Time.
  5. You can add Chailey Heritage Foundation to an existing Will - simply take the Codicil form to your solicitor.
  6. Keep your Will safe –  we recommend your solicitor has a copy and you keep a copy at home. Make sure a relative or friend knows where to find it.
  7. Please let us know your intentions – it’s completely up to you whether you would like to tell us about your gift. We understand that for some people, it’s a very private matter. If you do choose to let us know, we would love to thank you as well as keep you up to date with our work.

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