Citizens Advice Wills Week 2020

Received from Citizens Advice:

Citizens Advice Wills Week 2020

This annual event takes place in September and helps raise much needed funds for the local charity to help train its army of volunteers in advising and helping local people who need advice on debt, employment, benefit and disability entitlement, as well as many other issues. This year in March the charity had to drastically change its way of operating due to Covid 19. Almost overnight it moved to home working, retraining its volunteers so they could carry on working throughout the long lockdown period.

Janie Moor, CEO of Citizens Advice South Hams says, “We help thousands of local people find a way out of their problems, one of them is what happens when a close family member dies. We have seen heart breaking situations where someone has died and a will hasn’t been updated, leaving families in very difficult circumstances. Everyone should make sure they have a legally valid and witnessed will. Thanks to our supporting partners this is a fantastic opportunity to do just that and I would encourage anyone who has not got a will to take the step.”

If you die without making a will, money, property and possessions will be allocated in a way defined by law and possibly not how you would have wished. Unmarried partners and partners who have not registered a civil partnership cannot inherit. Also any existing will is no longer valid once you marry, so anyone wanting to leave assets to anyone other than their wife, husband or civil partner needs to make sure they have an up to date will.

For one week from the 21st – 25th September anyone can have a will written for free but will be asked to make a donation to Citizens Advice South Hams. Practices taking part are Start Point Law and Beers Solicitors in Kingsbridge and Wollens Full Spectrum Law in Dartmouth.

To make an appointment ring one of the participating practices directly and quote Citizens Advice Wills Week. The offer is only available to those who wish to make a simple Will which would typically include basic gifts of cash, property, assets, or family heirlooms to beneficiaries.

Suggested donations to Citizens Advice would be £100 for an individual or £150 for a joint will, a significant saving. Appointments are vital, so anyone thinking of taking the offer up is advised to book well ahead. All participating practices observe Covid19 safety concerns.

Contact information for participating practices are –

Beers Solicitors - tel 01548 857000 or email sonia.hems@beersllp.com 29, Fore Street, Kingsbridge, TQ7 1AA

Start Point Law - tel 01548 288008 or email info@startpointlaw.co.uk 108, Fore Street, Kingsbridge, TQ7 1AW

Wollens Full Spectrum Law - tel 01803 832191 or email michael.davies@wollens.co.uk 10, The Quay, Dartmouth, TQ6 9PT