Will Aid is an annual Will making campaign run collaboratively by eight leading charities, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Crisis, NSPCC, Shelter, SCIAF and Trocaire. Will Aid would not be possible without the nationwide support of the legal profession, who generously volunteer their time and expertise to write basic Wills. Instead of charging their normal fees, they will invite you to make an upfront donation to Will Aid. Donations raised through the campaign support the vital work of our eight partner charities.

A Will is a legal document that states the people and organisations such as charities that you want your money and possessions to go to when you die. It is best to have it drawn up by a solicitor who will make sure that the Will is legally valid and that your wishes can be carried out.

As a guideline, a basic Will covers an estate where you are leaving everything to a few family members, friends and charities; which does not require detailed inheritance tax advice; and which has no assets outside the UK. It will also include a couple of executors. It does not include setting up Trusts, powers of attorney or other devices. These would be charged separately by the solicitor.

Writing a Will is the only way to be certain that your money and belongings will go to the people and charities you care about. As well as helping your family and friends in the future, writing a Will gives you peace of mind today.

The simple answer is NOW. Making a Will is both important and straightforward. You need to remember that when your circumstances change, your Will may become out of date. For instance, in England and Wales, if you marry or re-marry your old Will is automatically invalidated. Please make sure that your Will is up-to-date.

Your Will needs to be updated when your circumstances change. For instance, if you get married, buy a property, have children, are separated or get divorced. You can update your Will with Will Aid - simply explain to your chosen solicitor the changes you need to make when you set up your appointment. Your solicitor will then advise you how to proceed.

Click hereto find your Will Aid solicitor. Once you have found a participating solicitor, they will offer either in-person appointments, or take your instruction via video call, or on the phone, or provide both options. So wherever you are in the UK you will be able to get a professionally-written Will.

Your Will Aid solicitor will then write your basic Will, waive their usual fee, and instead invite you to make an upfront donation to Will Aid.

Just phone or email your chosen solicitor telling them that you would like to make an appointment under the Will Aid scheme.

You can contact your chosen solicitor via our website or give them a call directly, telling them that you would like to make an appointment under the Will Aid scheme.

It is best to have thought about your wishes before you meet the solicitor. To help you we have devised a Will Planner, some notes on Will Making, and Leaving a Legacy to charity. These will make the Will writing process quicker and easier for you.

Whether you are meeting in person or have arranged an appointment via video call or on the phone, the process is the same. Your solicitor will ask for your details and discuss your instructions. Your solicitor will advise how best to word your Will. If you do not have an executor, your solicitor will be happy to arrange someone at the firm to act on your behalf.

Your Will will then be drafted and sent to you for approval. Changes can be made at this point. Once you are happy with the document, your solicitor will ask you to come back to the office to sign it in the presence of two witnesses. If you are not meeting them in person your solicitor will explain how to get your Will legally witnessed without the need to go to their office and having them as your witness. You can either keep your Will at home, or some firms offer to hold your Will in their strong room and give you a copy.

If your Will is complex, you and your solicitor may need to agree a separate fee for the extra work involved. This can be established at your first meeting when you are discussing your circumstances.

You can either give your solicitor a cheque made out to Will Aid (they will forward it to us) or you can donate safely online by credit or debit card by clicking here.

The donation is voluntary and at your discretion. Solicitors participate in the scheme to raise the maximum possible funds for the Will Aid charities. Instead of charging their normal fee for drawing up a basic Will they are asking that you consider making a donation to Will Aid. The suggested donation amounts are £120 for a single basic Will or £200 for a pair of basic matching or mirror Wills. While solicitors’ fees vary round the country, most would charge considerably more than the suggested donation level.

Yes. Some firms may require a third party to verify your identity, which they may charge you for separately. If required, they should just pass on the cost price for the check only, with no administration fee, as any time involved is part the time they are kindly volunteering.

No. Unfortunately it is no longer possible to Gift Aid donations to Will Aid. This change occurred in March 2013 when HMRC ruled that their previous interpretation of the Gift Aid rules were no longer valid and Will Aid did not qualify as the benefit that the donors received (i.e. a Will) was greater than that allowed under the Gift Aid guidelines.

All the donations raised during Will Aid month supports the vital work of the eight partner charities, rather than going to the solicitors.

Since 1988, more than £24 million has been donated through Will Aid and millions more has been promised in legacies. Will Aid donations support the participating charities work to improve the lives of children, families, older people and whole communities in the UK and around the world. The income from legacies will help ensure that the vital work of the Will Aid charities continues for future generations.

No. As Will Aid is a partnership of eight charities, they have agreed that the donations will be divided between them. However, you can leave a legacy to one or more Will Aid charities (or indeed any other charity) in your Will.

Making a Will is an ideal opportunity to support causes you feel strongly about.

Gifts in Wills – otherwise known as legacies – provide a significant amount of our Will Aid charities’ income each year. Without legacies, some wouldn’t be able to offer all the support that’s needed.

Any gift in your Will, however large or small, will make a real difference to the work of your chosen charities, so once you've provided for your friends and family, you may consider leaving a gift to a cause close to your heart. It would also be wonderful if you could let us know about your intentions. That way, if it's one of the Will Aid charities, we can let them know so they can thank you for your immense kindness.

A legacy gift to a registered charity can also be highly tax efficient as it is free from inheritance tax. So a legacy to a charity such as one of the eight Will Aid charities would effectively reduce any tax your family or other beneficiaries would have to pay. And it would mean so much to the many thousands of children and families throughout the world that the Will Aid charities support. Please click here for further information on leaving a legacy. Your solicitor will also be able to advise you.

Legacy 10 came into force on 6th April 2012. For people who die after this date and leave 10% of their estate to charity there is a corresponding reduction in the overall rate of Inheritance tax payable on the rest of the estate from 40% to 36%. It is also possible to achieve this saving by way of a deed of variation to insert the legacy to charity into a Will after someone has died.

Will Aid solicitors have volunteered to write basic Wills during November, instead inviting clients to make an upfront donation to the Will Aid charities. There will be a limit on the time and staff resources they can devote to the scheme. By and large, this means that the Will maker will need to visit the solicitor's office to have their Will drafted.

Some solicitors are willing and able to carry out home visits, but since there are additional costs in time and travel associated with this, they would usually charge for this extra service. Remember, if there is no local solicitor available, you can still find a Will Aid solicitor as many of our participating firms are happy to take people’s instructions on the phone or via video call. So wherever you are in the UK, you can get the peace of mind a professionally-written Will can bring.

As a special offer to Will Aid clients, you can register your Will with Certainty the National Will Register for free (usual cost is £25 + VAT) as part of a special offer between Will Aid and Certainty.

• Log on to www.nationalwillregister.co.uk
• Fill in the registration form
• Enter the redemption code willaid2026
• Your Will is now registered

The Register simply records which solicitor is storing your Will and does not hold a copy of your Will. Details of your Will are only made available to your beneficiaries.

It is very unusual for problems to arise with a participating solicitor. However, because Will Aid works only through registered or authorised legal firms or solicitors, you have the protection of the Law Society complaints procedure.

In the first instance you should raise any concerns you have directly with your solicitor. All firms will have a procedure for handling complaints.

Each solicitors firm will have a designated complaints handler whose details may be obtained from the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Tel: 0870 606 2555 or email: [email protected] (if they are based in England & Wales).

If you've complained to your solicitor about poor service or about their bill, and you aren't satisfied with your solicitor's response, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333, who can help to resolve your complaint for you.

If you live in Scotland you should contact the Scottish Legal Complaints Comission or telephone 0131 201 2130 for further information

In Northern Ireland please contact the Law Society of Northern Ireland or telephone 028 9023 1614 for further information.

You can view our full Complaints Policy.