How do I leave a legacy?

Making a Will is the only way to be absolutely certain that your wishes will be carried out as you intend. After you have provided for your family and friends, you may want to consider to make a donation to the charities and causes that you cared for during your lifetime in order to help secure their future.

On this page you will find practical information on making or changing your Will.

Please click on a question to view the answer.

How do I make a Will?

Finding a solicitor

It's an important legal document, we would urge you to contact a solicitor to draft your Will with you.

If you don't have a solicitor, we can provide you with a list of local solicitors who are well-practised in drafting Wills. Alternatively you can contact the Law Society on 020 7242 1222 or your local Citizen's Advice Bureau. They will be able to provide you with a list of solicitors in your area.

Naming an executor

Another important person to consider when writing your Will is the Executor- the people who will ensure your wishes are carried out in accordance to your Will. Ideally, you should name someone in your family, a close friend or choose professional advisers. Please note the Medical Foundation does not have the resources to be able to act as an Executor.

How do I include the Medical Foundation?

When you write you Will, please ensure that you include our registration details:

Our Full Name: Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture
Our current registered office address: 111 Isledon Road, London, N7 7JW
Our registered charity number: 1000340.

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What are the different types of gifts?

A Residuary bequest

This is the easiest way to leave money to charity and the best possible gift you can leave. It is not affected by inflation so you should not have to alter your Will if your circumstances change.

A Residuary Legacy is usually shown as a percentage of what is left of your estate, once all your dependants have been provided for and all expenses and debts have been taken care of.

A Pecuniary or cash legacy

This is a specific amount of money. It is important that you index-link your pecuniary donation to inflation to make sure that the real value of your gift will not decrease over time.
For example: an index-linked pecuniary legacy of £100 left in1965 would be now worth £ 1,160.

A Specific gift

This is an item that has a financial or sentimental value that you would like to pass down to someone. This can be just as valuable to the Medical Foundation as a sum of money.

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What is the wording I should use?

We would suggest that your solicitor use the following wording:

"I give to The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, 111 Isledon Road, London N7 7JW (Registered Charity No. 1000340)

(For a Residuary bequest): ALL/ A ........% share of the residue of my estate

(For a Pecuniary legacy) The sum of £.......(figures and words)

(For a Specific gift) The item of value (write here whatever you wish to give)

to be used for its general charitable purposes, and I declare that the receipt of their Treasurer or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge."

Your solicitor will check the final wording.

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I already have a Will, how do I amend my Will?

Keeping your Will up to date

A Will requires a periodic review and can be altered easily by means of a codicil. You should review your Will whenever there is a major change to your circumstances, such as birth, marriage or death.

When your solicitor is next updating your Will simply ask them to include a donation to your favourite cause, it doesn't need to cost anything extra if you are already revisiting it.

Codicil

If you have already made a Will, all you need to do is ask your solicitor to add a codicil to your Will, rather than draft a new one. A codicil is a document made subsequent to a Will with the intention of altering one, or some, of the provisions in the Will.
Please remember that two witnesses are needed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; one witness in Scotland.

We would suggest the following wording:
I (name) of (your address) declare this to be a (first/second/other) Codicil to my Will dated (date of Will). In addition to any legacies given in my said Will I give to the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, Charity No. 1000340 (.......% share of my estate, or the sum of..., or a specific item) to be used for its general purposes, and I declare that the receipt of the Treasurer or duly authorised officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge.
In all respects I confirm my said Will and any previous codicils thereto.

Signed (Your signature)
Witnessed by:
(first witness's signature, name, occupation, address)
(second witness's signature, name, occupation, address)

Please click here if you want to fill and print our online Codicil Form (coming soon).

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Do I need to tell Medical Foundation I've included them in my Will?

You do not need to tell the Medical Foundation if you have included them in your Will, but if you do so, it enable us to plan more efficiently for the future and more importantly we would like to acknowledge your generosity and commitment.
Click here to tell us about your legacy ( link to pledger page)

Where should I keep my Will?

Once the Will has been signed, it should be kept in a safe place at home, although some people choose to deposit their Will alongside other important papers in the bank (usually for a fee). Alternatively you can deposit your Will with your solicitor. Whatever you decide, it is important that your Executors are informed about the storage arrangements.

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