Alzheimer’s Research UK has partnered with several organisations so our supporters can have their Wills written for free.
Our partners give you the choice to write your Will in a way that suits you: online, over the phone or face-to-face with a solicitor. You can be reassured, no matter which option you choose, your Will is checked by a specialist.
There’s no commitment to include a gift to Alzheimer’s Research UK in your Will if you take up one of these offers. However leaving a gift in your Will would be a special way for your legacy to live on, helping our scientists to make breakthroughs long into the future and bring us closer to a cure.
Our offers cover ‘simple’ single or mirror Wills. A simple Will is usually defined as having a small number of straightforward bequests. If you have overseas property, you’d like help with inheritance tax planning, or you’d like to create a trust, your Will is not likely to be classed as simple, and the solicitor may charge a fee for this. If you’re not sure if your Will would be covered by the offer, ask the solicitor when you make your appointment and they will advise you.
Yes, but you must have testamentary capacity. This means you must understand the effects of making a Will, the extent of your estate and the implications of including or excluding certain people. Solicitors are trained and experienced in assessing whether someone has testamentary capacity. They’ll usually make notes on why they believe someone has this capacity, and may also recommend asking a doctor to be a witness, to help defend against the Will being challenged on the basis of capacity.
There are several ways you can leave gifts to family, friends and charities in your Will:
A percentage of your estate
Residuary gifts are a share or percentage of the remainder of your estate once expenses like debts, liabilities and Inheritance Tax have been paid, and other specified gifts have been distributed. For example, you could give 1%, 10% or even 100% of the residue to a named person or charity. Residuary gifts are popular as they keep up with inflation.
A fixed cash amount
Pecuniary gifts are a cash amount specified by you. For example, £500, £1,000, £10,000. However it’s important to remember that the value of any cash gifts may be affected by inflation.
You could also choose to leave specific gifts, a particular item such as jewellery or a car, or a conditional gift. Conditional gifts allow for unforeseen circumstances. For example, you may choose to leave part of your estate to a charity in the event that the intended beneficiary passes away before you do.
Face-to-face with a solicitor
Write your Will for free with the National Free Wills Network
Available in: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland.
Through this partnership, anyone aged 55 or over can make a Will for free. Our partners at the National Free Wills Network will send you details of the six solicitor firms nearest to you that you can see in person, as well as up to four remote options.
You can then choose which of these solicitors to make an appointment with.
Online and telephone
Write your Will for free with Farewill
Available in: England and Wales (online and telephone Wills) Scotland and Northern Ireland (telephone service only)
We know that lots of supporters lead very busy lives and arranging time to meet with a solicitor isn’t always possible. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Farewill, the UK’s most popular Will writing service.
Simply follow the link and create an account to complete your Will instructions online.
Once you have submitted your instructions, the Farewill team will review your Will within 5 working days and may get in touch if they have any questions. As soon as Farewill have contacted you and they’re happy with your Will, you can download a copy, print it, and follow the instructions to make sure you sign and witness it correctly.
If you have dementia an online Will may not be the most appropriate option. If you would like to proceed with using Farewill, you might need to book a telephone appointment with the Farewill team. You can do this either through the chat function or via email, or Farewill may contact you directly to suggest using the telephone service.
If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, get started through the same link below and Farewill will direct you to their telephone Wills service.
Write your Will for free with Co-op Legal Services
Available in: England and Wales.
Many people like to combine the convenience of writing a Will online with the reassurance of speaking to a Will specialist before it is signed. For this reason, we’re working with Co-op Legal Services, who are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Through this offer you can start making your Will online and then finalise it with a follow-up call. This helps make sure it’s the right Will for you, by providing you with the chance to discuss your circumstances and answer any questions you may have. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to speak to the team straightaway, you can choose to call them instead and do everything over the phone.
Contact us today
If you would like to find out more about these offers, or have any questions, please contact the Gifts in Wills team on 01223 896606 or email giftsinwills@alzheimersresearchuk.org
View our Alzheimer’s Research UK Will Service Terms and Conditions
A guide to making or amending your Will
This guide explains what’s involved in making or updating a Will, as well as highlighting things to consider if you or a loved one have dementia. And if you believe, like we do, that research can cure dementia – you can find everything you need to know about supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK with a gift in your Will.