Why is it important to have a Will?

Writing a Will means that you have control over what happens to your assets after you die. It can include information about your estate, your possessions, what sort of funeral you would like, as well as other wishes, such as, who should bring up your children, if you have them.

You should consider making a Will:

• When you buy a property
• When you get married
• When you have children so that you can appoint a Guardian
• If you get divorced, as your previous Will won't automatically be invalidated
• If your spouse passes away, and your previous Will left the estate to them
• When you have an unmarried partner who should inherit from your estate

• To identify Executors
• To clearly state where you would like your estate to go once you die
• To let your Executors know what type of funeral you would like
• To ensure that your children are protected and provided for financially
• To protect your partner if you're unmarried
• To avoid family disputes
• To avoid payment more inheritance tax than you need to

Whilst death isn't something that anyone wants to talk about, dying without a Will is something that you should really try to avoid. Dying without a Will leaves you intestate. This means that your property and money will be shared out according to legal default, rather than following your own wishes, no matter what your relatives assume you wanted.

Not at all. Any gift, large or small can be used to help fund our local community care.

Helping the hospice at any point is great. Many people who leave a legacy to Wigan & Leigh Hospice also support our services throughout their lifetime through donations, whilst others use their Wills to support our care for the first time.

You don't have to tell use about your gift, however if you'd like to, that would be very much appreciated. We would love to say thank you, and to keep you informed of our work.