Solicitors have been urged to support a month-long campaign for everyone to make a will.
Two-thirds of Britons do not have one, and Will Aid will be seeking to change this in the month of November. However, solicitors are asked to note that the campaign’s publicity drive and list of participating firms starts from the first week in September.
Now in its 29th year, Will Aid raises money for nine charities: ActionAid, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save The Children, Sightsavers, Age UK, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (Northern Ireland). It has raised more than £19m since it launched, with an estimated £95m extra raised in legacy pledges. In that time, more than 300,000 wills have been written through the scheme.
A poll conducted in 2017 by Will Aid has shown that across the UK, 61% of people who have a will, used a solicitor to create it.
‘One of the advantages of signing up to Will Aid is that Solicitors benefit from several months of extra local publicity and exposure for their firm by being part of our marketing activity, so the sooner they sign up the more awareness they can raise of their firm,’ said Peter de Vena Franks, campaign director for Will Aid.
‘Will Aid has made an amazing contribution to the work of the nine participating charities and 2016 was no exception. Thanks to the commitment of local solicitors that took part, many people both in the UK and abroad will receive life-changing support and local people who used the scheme have the peace of mind thanks to having a professionally drawn up will.’
Chris Andrews, a partner at John Fowlers Solicitors, which raised £14,260 last year, said his firm was introduced to ‘dozens of new clients, many of which have continued to work with us,’ through participating in the campaign.
For more information about Will Aid visit the website at www.willaid.org.uk.
