Local solicitors support hospice's Make a Will scheme

Four solicitors are waiving their usual will-writing fees in exchange for a donation to Garden House Hospice Care. The Stevenage branch of Tollers Solicitors, Hitchin-based Fortune Financial Planning and Friis & Radstone's and Heckford Norton's Letchworth offices are supporting our Make a Will scheme.

Statistics show that over half of the adults in the UK do not have a will written. It is one of those ‘life-admin’ jobs we so often put off, but is important to protect your loved ones and their futures, especially if your circumstances have recently changed. These might include becoming a parent or grandparent, changes to your health, or buying or selling a house.

Kerry Cunnane is Legacy and In Memory Manager at Garden House Hospice Care:
“We are extremely grateful to the teams all four solicitors for so kindly providing their expertise and skills in return for a donation. It now costs the Hospice £15,300 a day to provide its services - so by writing your will with them, you can feel good knowing you’ve got your affairs in order and supported your local charity.”

Caroline Selley and Karen Evans of Heckford Norton

Caroline Selley is a Partner at Heckford Norton:

“We are so proud to take part in the Make a Will campaign in recognition of the amazing work carried out by the Hospice and supporting a local charity which is valued and important to so many people.

“The process is not as daunting as you might think and can be completed quickly. All you have to do is arrange an appointment with one of our solicitors to discuss your options, they will send you a draft and once approved you can sign your will.”

Renata Shieff and Ricielle Valladarez of Friis & Radstone

Renata Shieff is Solicitor - Private Client Department at Friis & Radstone:

“At Friis, we believe in supporting our community in the best way we can. We care about the people and their wellbeing and want to help them make well-informed and satisfactory plans for their future in a timely manner.

“Writing a will is important for several reasons; it clarifies your wishes, reduces conflict, appoints guardians, protects your legacy, speeds up the probate process, addresses specific bequests and gives peace of mind.”

Kelly Cave, Claudia Capper and Cade Somerville of Fortune Financial Planning

Kelly Cave is Branch & Sales Manager at Fortune Financial Planning:
“The Hospice is a charity that is close to many of our hearts. Everyone who works within it is amazing at what they do - the time and dedication involved in providing a service which will benefit most of us all in some way in our later years is second to none. It is a pleasure to do all we can to support them.

“The process of making a will is so simple. You will fill out a ‘will preparation form’ in the comfort of your own home, at a time convenient for yourself and then submit this back to us. We will then set up an appointment with you - which can be face-to-face, via Zoom or telephone - to go through your will from start to finish making sure you are happy with it before writing it up for you.”

Chris Lucas, Sharon Brown, Michelle Gladwin and James Willoughby of Tollers Solicitors

Sharon Brown is Partner and Head of Trusts & Estates South at Tollers Solicitors:
“The Hospice provide such a special service to our community, and the amount of money that needs to be raised every day in order for them to continue is eye-watering! The Make a Will campaign is one of the ways we are able to provide some support with that goal.

“The process of making a will is much easier than many people imagine. You can provide your instructions either face-to-face or by a video meeting, or we can even start the process by email if that is more convenient for you.

“Regardless of how much or how little you may think you are worth, it is important for everyone to write a will as it guarantees that your wishes will be followed.”

Making a will through our scheme allows you to support our work financially while simplifying the process of writing or updating your will. Solicitors' fees usually start at around £220 for a basic will, but the suggested minimum donation to the Hospice is £130. This could pay for one of our weekly Wellbeing Hubs, attended by an average of 33 lonely and isolated people.

Visit www.ghhospicecare.org.uk/make-a-will for contact details for each solicitor and further instructions on how to get started on writing your will.