Write your will for free

Do you need to write a will but you're worried about the cost? Shelter Scotland has partnered with expert will writing services so you can write your will for free.

Retiring? Moving house? Celebrating a new grandchild? There are so many reasons to make a will – and it’s important that you do.

Your will is a chance to make sure that your loved ones are taken care of and that your wishes are respected. It’s also the only way for you to leave a legacy to the causes and charities that you're passionate about.

Shelter Scotland's free will writing services cover the cost of a simple will. There may be an additional cost for wills for more complex estates.

You're under no obligation to leave a gift to Shelter Scotland when using these services. However, we'd really appreciate it if you decide to remember us in your will.

Ways to write your will

Face to face

The National Free Wills Network can put you in touch with trusted solicitors in your local area who can help you write or amend a simple will at no cost.

Request a free will writing pack from the National Free Wills Network. This pack has details of local solicitors who you can contact to make an appointment.

Alternatively, please email your full name and address to legacies@shelter.org.uk or call us on 0344 515 1617.

By telephone

Our partner, Farewill, offers a telephone will service. You can speak to a will specialist on the phone who'll guide you through the process.

Call 0208 050 2686 and quote ‘Shelter Scotland’ or request a callback.

There is a £20 fee for late cancellation or no show for a telephone appointment.

Find out more from Farewill about their will services.

Find a solicitor

If you prefer to find a solicitor yourself, you can contact the Law Society of Scotland or telephone 0131 226 7411 (Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm).

Preparing to write your will

Before you write your will, you may wish to complete an asset checklist so you have a clear idea of what your estate is worth.

If you would like to leave a gift to Shelter Scotland, all you will need is our charity number: SC002327 and address: Scotiabank House, 6 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AW. You can also provide your solicitor with our suggested will wording.

Contact us

For further information about our work and gifts in wills, please contact us on 0344 515 1617 or at legacies@shelter.org.uk

Further guidance on wills

Types of gifts you can make

There are a number of ways you can leave Shelter Scotland a legacy gift in your will.

You could gift:

1. A share of your estate (residuary gift)

You may wish to leave Shelter Scotland all or part of what is left of your estate after other gifts and debts have been paid. This gift will not be eroded in value by inflation over the years.

Suggested will wording:
'Subject to the payment of my debts, funeral and testamentary expenses, I give (the whole/insert percentage value) of my estate not otherwise disposed of by this my Will to Shelter Scotland of Scotiabank House, 6 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AW registered charity number SC002327, for the general purposes of Shelter Scotland, and I declare that the receipt of their Treasurer or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge.'

2. A sum of money (pecuniary gift)

You may wish to leave us a stated sum of money. With this gift, it’s important to remember that the value of money changes over time and you may need to alter your will periodically to keep up with inflation.

Suggested will wording:
'I give free of tax to Shelter Scotland of Scotiabank House, 6 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AW, registered charity number SC002327, the sum of £________ for the purposes of Shelter Scotland, and I declare that the receipt of their Treasurer or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge.'

3. A specific item of value

Some people decide to gift us specific items of value, such as works of art or property. By leaving a property to Shelter Scotland, you can give thousands of people a safe home. For example, a house which sells for £290,000 could help a staggering 10,000 people get advice by making a call to our emergency helpline and avoid losing their homes.

Suggested will wording:
'I give to Shelter Scotland of Scotiabank House, 6 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AW, registered charity number SC002327, absolutely (write in here whatever you wish to give) for the purpose of Shelter Scotland, and I declare that the receipt of their Treasurer or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge.'

4. A reversionary gift

This gift enables you to pass your estate or specific assets of your estate, to individuals who will benefit throughout their lifetime. Following their deaths all, or some, of the estate is then passed to the beneficiaries as specified in the reversionary legacy.

For example, property may be left to a spouse for their lifetime and then bequeathed to Shelter Scotland after their death.

How to amend an existing will

If you already have a will and want to make small changes – such as including a gift to Shelter Scotland – you may not need to rewrite it. You can ask your solicitor to add a codicil form, which makes amendments to your existing will.

It might be better to write a new will if you’d like to make a significant change to it. You can use our free will services for both writing a new will and amending one.

Inheritance tax benefits

Gifts in wills to registered charities are free of inheritance tax (IHT). So, if the value of your estate is more than the tax threshold, a gift to charity could reduce the burden of IHT.

Also, if you leave 10% or more of your estate to charity, this can reduce the rate of IHT from 40% to 36% on some assets.

Keeping your will safe

Wills often get lost or mislaid over time, so make sure to keep yours safe.

We recommend leaving a copy of your will with your solicitor, or with someone you trust.

You can also register your will with the National Will Register, for a small fee.

Disclaimer

Please note that all the will writing services above are provided by third-party organisations who are independent of Shelter Scotland. By participating in any of the will writing services above, you become a direct client of the will provider. To use these services, you must consent to providing Shelter Scotland with your full name, address, and date of birth whether or not you have included a gift to Shelter Scotland in your will. Shelter Scotland reserves the right to withdraw the free will services.

Ways to get involved