Legacy wording for wills

Here you will find information on how you could word your will to include SOS Children:

Making a bequest to SOS Children

As you may know, gifts made to charities in a will are exempt from inheritance tax and may reduce the liability for inheritance tax. Your professional advisor – for example your solicitor, bank manager or accountant – will be able to advise you.

There are three main types of legacy that are used for making bequests to charities.

1. A residuary legacy: a part or the whole of your estate after all pecuniary legacies and specific bequests have been made, and after deducting expenses and any tax
2. A pecuniary legacy: a gift of a specific sum of money
3. A specific bequest: a gift of specific items, for example, property or shares that the charity can convert into cash

Each have advantages and disadvantages, depending on your own personal wishes and circumstances. Again, your professional advisor will be able to help you.

The following are examples of the wording your might use in your will for these three main types of legacy.

A residuary legacy

"I devise and bequeath ......................................(insert 'all' or whatever fractional share of your estate you wish to bequeath) of the residue of my estate absolutely to SOS Children of Terrington House, 13-15 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1NL (Registered charity number 1069204), hereinafter called the Charity, such sum to be applied to the general purposes of the charity, and I direct that a receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or other authorised officer for the time being of the charity shall be a good and sufficient discharge to my Executors for the receipt of this bequest."

A pecuniary legacy

"I bequeath to SOS Children of Terrington House, 13-15 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1NL (Registered charity number 1069204) free of tax the sum of £......... to be applied to the general charitable purposes of the charity and I direct that a receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or other authorised officer for the time being of the charity shall be a good and sufficient discharge to my Executors for the payment of this legacy."

A specific bequest

"I bequeath to SOS Children of Terrington House, 13-15 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1NL (Registered charity number 1069204) free of tax .....................................(clear description of the item/items to be bequeathed) with the full power to realise such assets and to apply the proceeds to the general purposes of the charity, and I direct that a receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or other authorised officer for the time being of the charity shall be a good and sufficient discharge to my Executors for the receipt of this bequest."

These forms of wording enable you to make a bequest to the general purposes of the charity. If, because you have been sponsoring a particular child or village, you wish to earmark your bequest to a particular SOS Children's Village, the words "general charitable purposes of the charity" can be amended to take account of your particular wishes. For example, if you wanted a bequest made to the work of SOS Children's Villages in Botswana, the words should be "to be applied to the work of SOS Children in Botswana".

A legacy can also be made for the benefit of a specific child.

If you need any information or assistance about the wording of your legacy, do please telephone us or ask your professional advisor to make contact with us.

Legacy Wording for Wills (pdf)

Where can I find out more?

If you would like us to help in any way with the specific wording of a legacy to SOS Children, please call us on 01223 365589 or email legacy@soschildren.org.