Legacies

The following article was written by former Churchwarden Ian Eaton, and first appeared in the St Mary’s Parish Magazine in February 2025.  It is an informative and lighthearted guide for those considering writing a will and/ or leaving a legacy to St Mary’s.

A Lighthearted Look at Legacies

Or Where there’s a Will…..

James, our dynamic, young Churchwarden and Darren, our Rector, had been reviewing St Mary’s improving financial position at our Finance Group meeting. A large number of the congregation had recently joined the brilliant Parish Giving Scheme (PGS). In fact we were now in the Guinness Book of Records apparently!

Likewise, the GoodBox contactless units had done very well over the Christmas services. If only those payments could be Gift Aided like PGS, so we could get that extra 25% from HMRC.

I reported that the various cash collections had also increased – our church’s finances were improving on all fronts.

Wait a minute! James slowly turned his beady eye towards me as he said “The only thing we haven’t asked the congregation to consider is LEGACIES! I’m sure Wills are of great interest and relevance to an 80 year old like you, Ian, so before you finally LEAVE us…. (I had finally decided to give up being the ‘Church Money Counter’) ….. please can you write that promised article for the Parish Magazine…very soon?”

“Of course!” I said, through gritted teeth “The article that says how easy it is to write a Will using the Church of England’s completely FREE online will-writing service on  

https://farewill.com/cofe-web ”.

Actually, I had already started my new will writing attempt before the Christmas services/’money counting season’ had commenced. When our fifty year old sons were teenagers Rosemary and I had gone to a solicitor and we had our ‘back to back’ wills written expensively by a solicitor (an early version of a ‘BOGOF’ arrangement!). However, they desperately needed updating, with our now adult sons nominated as Executors and new clauses inserted recognising grandchildren etc.

I had been about to try Which?, who were offering a ‘will deal’ (as they say in the TV programme!) that tempted me, but then I read that the Church of England had partnered with Farewill, ‘the UK’s favourite will writer, to offer a free online will writing service which you can do from the comfort of your home in less than 30 minutes’. I used the link, given above, read the sales points made on the CofE/Farewill web site and took the plunge.

I would like to offer this advice to any reader who may at this point be thinking ‘I really ought to sort out my will(s) – I’ll give this Farewill app a go!’ Please, before you start, set up a spreadsheet entitled “Our Total Assets at 31.1.25” or something similar. It will prove invaluable for writing a will via Farewill or any other will-writing approach.

It was the best thing that Rosemary made me do in our 57 years of marriage! Back when I was Self Assessing my tax, the HMRC deadline was 31st January to complete the self-assessment, so I needed to check my few share dividends, saving account interests, pensions (eventually) and other financials needed to calculate and submit my tax return. Rosemary would look over my shoulder and say something like “What would happen if you fell off the branch/popped your clogs? I would have no idea about our finances”.

So every year, sometime in January, I still produce our net worth statement (the spreadsheet mentioned above) and print a copy to put in our safe place.

Well, it turns out that completing the questions asked by the Farewill app was a doddle using the information about our assets listed on that spreadsheet. Best thing I could have had to hand! More about the Farewill application next month for those who need it, but I encourage you to give it a try and see if it answers your own will needs. And take a look at the CofE website on Leaving a Legacy for further information.

Ian Eaton