FAQs - Leaving a gift in your will

Your legacy is a most precious gift. A gift in your Will is a powerful way to help ensure that people on the margins of London continue to hear the good news of Jesus for generations to come.

Furthermore, your legacy could:

• enable long-term, sustainable gospel ministry
• honour your loved ones
• reflect the values you have lived by
• ensure your final wishes are made clear
• help to reduce your tax liability
• could help to inspire others

Your legacy could help to:

• train and support missionaries
• equip churches to reach their communities
• sustain outreach in London’s hardest to reach neighbourhoods
• share the hope of Jesus with those on the margins

Your generosity becomes part of God’s ongoing work in this city.

We have partnered with Make a Will Online (MAWO) as a response to some of our supporters telling us they could not afford to write a Will. We believe having a Will should be accessible to everyone.

MAWO provides a secure and straightforward way for you to make your will from home. By visiting https://www.makeawillonline.co.uk/londoncitymission you can write a solicitor-checked will in just a few steps.

If you have legal questions along the way, a fully qualified solicitor will be on hand to help. Every will made through this service also benefits from free access to Capacity Vault, a safeguard designed to protect your wishes and reduce the risk of challenges in the future.

For some people, making a will in person with a solicitor might be the best option. This may be the case if:

· your estate is above the inheritance tax threshold

· you have overseas property or complex arrangements such as trusts

· you are taking medication or live with a dementia-related condition

· you would simply prefer to speak face to face with a local Solicitor

In which case the following resources might prove useful to finding a local Solicitor and appropriate legal advice:

· The Law Society - https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk

· Solicitors Regulation Authority - https://www.sra.org.uk

GOV.UK is another useful resource to understand inheritance tax and how leaving a gift in your Will to charity could help reduce liability.

· https://www.gov.uk/make-will

Yes absolutely! We would strongly encourage you to consider and include your family and loved ones in your Will first.

You may choose to leave:

• A residuary gift – a percentage of your estate after other gifts.
• A pecuniary gift – a fixed sum of money.
• A specific gift – such as property, shares or personal items.

Legal professionals recommend updating a Will every 3-5 years to ensure it continues to reflect your current wishes and circumstances.

It is highly recommended that a Will be updated after any major life change, such a marriage, divorce, birth of a child/ grandchild, or significant change in financial circumstance.

Keeping your will up to date is essential for ensuring that it remains legally valid and accurately reflects your intentions.

A deed of variation is a legal document that allows you to change the terms of a Will or, in the instance there is no Will, to change how the intestacy rules operate and apply to an estate.

It can be used to alter the distribution of assets, add beneficiaries, or make other changes to a Will.

The deed must be signed by all parties involved and witnessed for it to be legally binding.

A deed of variation may also be used to reduce your inheritance tax liability by transferring some of your entitlement from one beneficiary to another.

A Deed of Variation can be helpful in a situation such as:

• where a Will fails to account and provide for children born after the date of the will.
• where the intended beneficiary is financially secure and would prefer to see that money be transferred to a charity or someone else who has a greater need for the money.
• where the intended beneficiary has their own potential liability to IHT on their own death and wishes to avoid making lifetime gifts that might be added together with their other assets and gifts should they themselves die within 7 years.

We strongly advise that you seek professional legal advice before making any changes, as there may be tax implications or other considerations that need to be considered.

Yes.
However, many supporters choose to leave an unrestricted gift, allowing LCM to use it where the need is greatest.
If you wish to support a particular area of ministry, please speak with us so we can honour your intent.

No — it is entirely up to you.
If you do choose to let us know, we would love to thank you and keep you updated on the impact your future gift will make.

Yes.

Your Will remains fully in your control throughout your lifetime, and you can update it at any time.

Full legal name: London City Mission
Registered charity number: 247186
Address: Nasmith House, 175 Tower Bridge Road, London, SE1 2AH

Yes.
Gifts to UK registered charities are exempt from inheritance tax.
Leaving 10% or more of your estate to charity may also reduce the tax due on the remainder of your estate.