Giving to charity 'big issue for those making a will'

Giving to charity when making a will has been a big issue in recent years, with many people intending to do so and not getting round to it, an expert has claimed.
 
Keith Johnston, director of philanthropy at the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, has highlighted the fact that three-quarters of Brits support charities in their lifetime but fewer than ten per cent do so in their will.
 
He said: "Advisers pay a key role in prompting this giving and this gives them the perfect opportunity to raise the issue, which has to be a very good thing."
 
Mr Johnston added that recent legal cases challenging decisions to leave all or most of a person's estate to charity have proven increasingly complicated due to a spate of recent judgements.
 
He said that there are two conflicting opinions the courts are enforcing, one in which a person can leave their money to whoever they want and a second claiming that relatives can be entitled to funds even where the will rules this out.
 
Earlier this month, solicitor Linda Cummins told IFA Online that it is essential that people turn to an expert when writing a will as this will make it far more likely that the court will interpret the document in line with the testator's wishes.

Published by Tessa Jones