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Will writing service

Making a Will is one of those things we tend to put off. It is not something we really want to think about. However, it is important to have a Will to ensure our loved ones are protected, provided for, and save them from additional stress – whatever our financial situation.

Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation would always recommend that you should consult a solicitor or specialist Estate planner in order to discuss your particular requirements in detail. We do however recognise that for some, this may not be possible, whether this is because of time constraints or for cost reasons.

In order to provide an opportunity for our supporters and patients to be able to make a Will without the associated costs, we have partnered with Jones Whyte Solicitors who offer a free Will writing service for basic Wills in England, Scotland and Wales. You can have your appointment either by phone or via Zoom, giving you a great opportunity to receive advice and guidance from estate planning specialists when preparing your Will.

You may be asked if you wish to make a donation to RCLCF but there is no obligation to do so, although any donation or legacy to enable us to carry on our vital work would be appreciated.

In order to take advantage of the Free Will scheme offered by Jones Whyte solicitors, you can call them on 0330 175 1234 and quote the ROY CASTLE SCHEME. Alternatively, you can email them at  newenquiries@joneswhyte.co.uk

For those in England and Wales who prefer to do a basic online Will with no advice can do so with Guardian Angels who use an online questionnaire to prepare a basic Will that you can then print off and sign (with witnesses). To get started with your free online Will (no advice), please click here to register with Guardian Angels (England and Wales).

Guardian Angels T&Cs

Reasons for doing a Will

Many people believe they do not need to make a Will. They assume what they have will automatically pass to their nearest and dearest. Sadly, this is not the case and can mean that loved ones, even partners, children and grandchildren, may not receive what you would have wanted.

The only way to ensure that your estate is distributed according to your wishes is to make a Will.

There are many reasons people put off writing a Will:

  • I’m too busy
  • It’s too expensive
  • I don’t like thinking about death
  • It’s tempting fate
  • I might change my mind.

As the past few years have shown, no one knows what lies ahead so it is important to have a Will now and not put it off.

Nobody likes to think about death, but the fact is that we are all going to die one day! By sorting your Will out now means you can then just concentrate on other, more positive things safe in the knowledge your loved ones are protected.

If you already have a Will, it is important to regularly check and update your Will as your circumstances may have changed.

Remember that doing a Will is important for when you die but you should also consider doing a Lasting Power of Attorney to make sure that someone you trust can deal with your affairs should you become incapacitated whilst you are still alive.

Common myths about Wills

If you don’t do a Will, your family will have to apply for Letters of Administration before they can deal with your estate.

This can be a long and onerous process and can cause an unnecessary additional workload and stress on the family at a time when they are already grieving.

In addition to this, if you have stepchildren and don’t make a Will, they are not eligible to inherit anything under intestacy laws.

This is a very common myth. There is no such thing as ‘Common Law‘, so if you die without a Will, the laws of intestacy would only look at a legal spouse for inheritance. This means your partner could find themselves in a position where they may lose out altogether. They may even be made homeless if the property is just in your name, or be forced into an expensive legal battle which they have no guarantee of winning .

Sadly, many families fall out after a loved one’s death, if a Will has not been made as they can have different ideas on what your wishes were. This can cause unnecessary rifts and bad feeling at a time when they need each other the most.

Many people assume they don’t have anything to leave, but when you add up the value of your assets, you may be surprised. For example, if you have a mortgage, this may be paid off through a life insurance policy which would mean the value of your estate is much greater than you think.

Having a Will is very important if you have children under 18, even if your estate value is low, as it will enable you to appoint guardians to look after them should anything happen to you.

Unfortunately, as recent events have shown, nobody can predict what might be around the corner, so adults of any age who have assets or children under 18 need to make a Will.

A Will gives you the opportunity to name those that you would want to be guardians for your children in the event of your death. Without this, a judge may pick guardians that you may not have wanted. Godparents have no legal rights.

It is true that you can use an off the shelf Will kit or even try to draft your own. However, there is a risk that it will be declared invalid e.g. it was not correctly signed, not dated or allow those you chose to leave out to challenge its validity because you have not had the benefit of the legal knowledge and advice to protect you.

Leaving a Legacy

As you complete your instructions, you will be asked if you would like to leave a gift to Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. You are under no obligation to do so, and you will not be pressurised to do so.

Gifts left in Wills account for a third of our fundraising income and they are an important way of funding our activities. Just 1% (or more if your circumstances allow) will help us in the fight against lung cancer including:

  • Research into improving early detection of lung cancer and the patient experience.
  • Patient support activities including free telephone helpline, a network of nurse led patient support groups, a dedicated online forum, a range of information materials and financial grants to lung cancer patients.
  • Awareness campaigns highlighting the early signs and symptoms of lung cancer so that more people are diagnosed sooner and receive effective treatment, ultimately saving lives.

Pip’s lung cancer legacy

When Pip was diagnosed with lung cancer, she decided to update her Will and leave a gift to our charity, Pip wanted to help researchers understand why people who don’t smoke develop lung cancer She wanted to give others the chance to be diagnosed earlier than she was.

Read More
Pip's lung cancer legacy

In order to take advantage of the Free Will scheme offered by Jones Whyte solicitors, you can call them on 0330 175 1234 and quote the ROY CASTLE SCHEME. Alternatively, you can email them at  newenquiries@joneswhyte.co.uk

To get started with your free online Will (no advice), please click here to register with Guardian Angels (England and Wales).

Click here to view our full terms and conditions.

McClures Solicitors

Our charity had a very successful partnership with McClure Solicitors for several years but this unfortunately came to an end earlier this year when they ceased trading as a result of the problems caused by trading restrictions with the pandemic that severely affected their ability to continue their business effectively. Whilst this was really sad news for the charity as McClure solicitors had been such a fantastic partner which helped many supporters and patients over the years in providing a high quality, solicitor led Free Will service, the good news is that the firm was taken over by Jones Whyte LLP https://joneswhyte.co.uk/. This means that the Wills that were previously stored by McClure Solicitors at their Glasgow office are now  safely stored with Jones Whyte LLP and are accessible through them as and when required. To contact Jones Whyte with queries relating to your stored McClure Will, please contact them on 0141 736 0020 or email on info@joneswhyte.co.uk. Please note that Jones Whyte are unable to provide a free Will review service that used to be offered by McClure solicitors.