Leaving a legacy

Leaving AIMS a Gift in Your Will

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Thank you for considering leaving us a gift in your will. By leaving a gift to AIMS you can help us to support UK residents who are seeking to access HSCT for Multiple Sclerosis or Autoimmune Diseases.

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Of course, your priority will be your family and friends but even a small gift to AIMS will help us in our work.

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Making a will is one of the most important things you can do, and we always recommend that you speak to a solicitor before making a new will or changing an existing one. As a newly formed charity, AIMS doesn’t have the resources to provide you with legal support, as some larger charities can. However, we’ve put together a quick guide to some of the things you may want to consider.

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Check if you are entitled to a free professionally written will

If you’re employed, check whether your employer offers a will-writing service as a perk. Alternatively, if you’re a member of a trade union they may provide a free or discounted will-writing service. Among those that do are Unison, the NASUWT and the PCS

  

It’s also worth looking through the terms of any home or car insurance cover you have, as these sometimes offer some simple will-writing services.

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What type of gift can I leave?

There are several ways that you can leave a legacy in your will to support AIMS.

• Residuary Legacy
  A residuary legacy is what’s left of your property after any other gifts and costs have been deducted. A residuary legacy can be split between more than 1 beneficiary.

• Pecuniary Legacy
  A pecuniary legacy is the gift of a fixed sum of money.

• Specific Legacy
  This is the gift of a specific object, such as a painting or jewellery, or a gift of property.

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While these are the main types of legacies there can be variations, for example a legacy can be made contingent based on other events, or a legacy can be placed in trust. This is another reason that AIMS always advises our supporters to seek professional legal advice.

 

I’ve Already Made a Will, Can I Add a Gift for AIMS?

It’s usually quite simple to amend an existing will. A codicil is a straightforward document that is signed and witnessed in the same way as a will and allows you to add to an existing will without having to re-write it. They can be very useful if you are just making a small change but as ever please speak to a solicitor for advice.

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Are There Any Benefits to Leaving a Legacy to a Charity?

A legacy gift to a charity might benefit your loved ones, as well as the charity. Charitable legacies don’t count toward the total taxable value of your estate so could cut the amount of any Inheritance Tax that is due.

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Please Let Us Know

If, once you’ve spoken to a solicitor, you do decide that leaving a legacy to AIMS is right for you then please let us know so that we can officially recognise you as a supporter. You can drop us an email at aims-fundraisingevents-committee@aimscharity.org

Visit the Money Advice Service for more impartial advice about writing a will

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