Legacies in the time of COVID

• Will writing increase.
• Challenging wills.
• Legacy income: a short-term dip?

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact across the world with the highest level of deaths recorded in the UK in any year since the Second World War.

As of May 2021 (according to the Charities Commission), there are about 185,000 registered charities in England and Wales. Charities are hugely reliant upon the good will of the public in order to raise funds. Almost overnight, COVID-19 restrictions meant many income streams were turned off—charity shops shut their doors, large fundraising events were cancelled and staff were furloughed. For some charities, legacies were their only income stream.

However, legacies did not escape unscathed from the pandemic. Research from Smee & Ford shows that in 2019 legacy income was worth over £3bn to the charity sector and though we await the final statistics for 2020, it is estimated