Local solicitors urged to share in Will Aid's success

Tuesday 27th July 2010

Last November, solicitors showed their caring face by joining with others all over the UK to give up their time to write Wills during Will Aid's Make a Will Month. The scheme was hugely popular with local people who flocked into the participating solicitors' offices, delighted to make a donation to the Will Aid charities, in return for having their Will professionally drawn up.

Nine charities shared over £1.25 million which was donated nationwide. Seventeen thousand people, many of whom had never set foot in a legal firm before, began new relationships with solicitors up and down the country.

It's an achievement for which the legal profession can be justly proud. But public interest is such that there is the potential to achieve even more. With the 2010 campaign planned for November, Will Aid solicitors in this area are challenging other local firms to join them to help beat the 2009 total and raise even more for people in need around the world.

The scheme couldn't be easier to operate and Will Aid solicitors are free to decide how many Wills they write under the scheme. During November, instead of charging for drawing up a basic Will, Will Aid solicitors will waive their usual fee and ask instead that the client donate the fee they would normally have been charged to the Will Aid charities. The suggested minimum donation is £75 for a single Will, £110 for mirror Wills. Each Will written under the scheme raises nearly £100.

Many solicitors tell us that Will Aid offers them a unique opportunity to put something back into their own community. They are helping local people get their affairs in order and at the same time raising vital funds to help people in desperate need get access to the things most of us take for granted, like basic health care, clean water and the ability to protect our families' future. 

Participating solicitors work very hard for Will Aid but feel really positive about the experience. As well as having the satisfaction of knowing they are helping others, Will Aid solicitors gain new, valuable clients as a result of taking part. Will Aid's research has shown that Will Aid clients have higher than average incomes and are likely to choose their Will Aid solicitor for their future legal work. Satisfied Will-makers also tend to recommend their new solicitor to family and friends.

So why not put your skills and generosity to great use and make this a Will Aid year?