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MAKE A WILL MONTH AT WIRRAL HOSPICE
Coronavirus has had a significant effect on all our lives and brought renewed focus to the way we think about our futures .
Wirral Hospice St John ’ s has been continuing , including throughout the pandemic crisis , to provide its nursing care and specialist support services , free of charge , to patients whose illnesses have progressed beyond a cure , alongside appropriate support for their loved ones too . It costs more than £ 5million each year to run the hospice and this is only possible through the ongoing support of our whole Wirral community , individuals , businesses and other organisations , who continue to support the hospice in so many ways .
The legal firms who partner the hospice in Make a Will Month offer their valuable time and waive normal fees for their will-writing services . At a significant discount to the normal cost , they ask people for a suggested , and kind , donation of just £ 90 for a single will or £ 150 for a double will which goes directly to our local adult hospice .
Make a Will Month Each April , a host of Wirral solicitors ’ partner with Wirral Hospice St John ’ s to offer people the chance to make a new will , or revise their old one . Make a Will Month offers people the security of knowing that all of their assets will go exactly where they wish them to when they ’ re no longer around . Appointments fill up really quickly , so an early booking is strongly advised and supporters are encouraged to contact the solicitors in March to make their booking for April and to quote Wirral Hospice St John ’ s Make a Will Month when booking a consultation .
When making a booking , the solicitor will take some outline details and then send out an initial form for to fill in so that the main issues to be addressed in the will are covered .
Why Make A Will ? It ’ s natural for people to believe there ’ s plenty of time before they have to take this important step , but experience tells us that it ’ s never too early . If a will is not officially drawn up then assets may be subject to processes under the law which may have negative repercussions for loved ones for many years .
There may already be a will in place but major changes can happen in life , including marriage , divorce , having children or even the death of a loved one , which can potentially invalidate some , or all , of a current will .
Unmarried partners or those who have not registered a civil partnership cannot inherit from each other unless there is a will in place . Homeowners and people with dependent children are especially encouraged to have an up-to-date will .
Legacies Legacies have become a significant part of hospice income and , although amounts greatly vary according to people ’ s circumstances , Wirral Hospice St John ’ s is extremely grateful when people choose to leave a gift of any size . Anything that is left to charity is not counted towards the total taxable value of your estate and if you leave at least 10 % of your ‘ net estate ’ to a charity it can cut inheritance tax from 40 % to 36 % where that may be applicable .
There are different ways of leaving a gift in your Will ; Residual legacy : A gift of the remainder or share of your estate , after all other gifts are given and debts cleared . Pecuniary legacy : A gift of a fixed sum of money . Specific legacy : A gift of a particular named item such as jewellery , a painting , a car or such like .
Margie , a hospice supporter who took up an appointment through Make a Will Month told us about her experience , " I decided to make my own will as part of Make a Will Month . Like many other people I ' d been putting it off too , but once I made the appointment and received the initial paperwork , including a form to fill in at home , I started to relax . Even though the initial discussions with loved ones seemed hard I found the whole process itself really easy . I have peace of mind now and because of what I know about the hospice , it was great to be able to make the donation to help make a difference .”
To find out more information , please contact Julia Evans at Wirral Hospice St John ' s . Tel : 0151 343 0778 Email : juliae @ wirralhospice . org
18 wirrallife . com