Leaving a gift in your Will

A solicitor will help ensure that your Will is valid and that your wishes will be met. However, you can also choose to use a Will writer or online Will provider.

The cost of writing a Will varies depending on how complicated it is. You can ask several solicitors what they charge before making your decision.

If you have already written a Will and wish simply to update it with a gift to charity, there should be no charge, but you should check this with your solicitor.

Free Will Month takes place every March and is an opportunity for people aged 55 and over to have their simple Wills written or updated by participating solicitors across the UK. Whilst Reverse Rett are not one of the listed charities, participating solicitors will still offer this opportunity to those wishing to leave a gift to Reverse Rett. Please visit www.freewillsmonth.org.uk for further information.

We understand that circumstances can change. You can change the content of your Will at any time. We will never ask you to tell us whether you have left Reverse Rett a gift in your Will, or whether you have changed your Will. We will always respect your privacy and confidentiality.

There are three types of gift you can leave in your will:

• A share of your estate – This is a percentage of your estate after all other gifts and expenses have been paid. These gifts are very important to us as they usually maintain their value or increase over time. This also means you’re less likely to need to amend it in the future. Just a small percentage can transform lives for years to come.
• A specific sum – This is a gift of a set amount of money.
• A specific item – This could be something valuable such as an antique, painting, property or shares that we would sell.

If you already have a Will and simply wish to add a gift to Reverse Rett you can complete a codicil form and store it with your Will. A codicil is read alongside your Will and allows you to make changes to your Will, without having to rewrite it. Ask your solicitor for a codicil form.

At the moment, if you leave a gift to Reverse Rett in your Will it will not be included when valuing your estate for Inheritance Tax purposes. The value of your gift will be deducted from your estate before Inheritance Tax is applied.

This means that the amount of Inheritance Tax applied will be reduced.

However, Inheritance Tax rules can change so it’s always best to discuss your Will and the type of gift you might like to leave with your solicitor.