A Legacy to a Pet’s Charity in you Will

It heartening to know that there are numerous organisations dedicated to the welfare of animals. However, most of these organizations like the RSPCA, Blue Cross and other private pet charities rely on sparse government funding and private donations to sustain their operations. Donations of any size are welcomed by these organisations. One of the biggest gifts one can give to such an organisation is leaving a legacy to a pets’ charity in a will. However, there are some legal aspects to doing this. Here are a few guidelines that should be helpful in getting this done.

Wording a Will

A will can be a plain paper signed by the person whose will it is and a couple of witnesses or it can be a lengthy document drawn out and attested by a lawyer. The wording needs to be in a particular format, examples of which can be found on the internet, or through the help of a lawyer.
There are three types of gifts that one can bequeath to a pets’ home through a will. They are:

Percuniary Legacy

This is a gift in the form of a fixed amount of money. The name and address of the home to which the money has to be gifted should be clearly mentioned in the will, as well as the amount of money.

Specific Legacy

Here, a tangible piece of property would be gifted, like a car, piece of jewelry or a painting. Here also, one would need to give the contact details of the pets’ home and a detailed description of the item involved. I would be a good idea to mention the location of the piece of property, for easy identification when the time comes.

Residual Legacy

This is simply the remaining portion of the estate after paying for funeral expenses and all other pending bills of the deceased person. The actual value of a residual legacy will not be known until all the expenses are paid.

Appointing an Advisor

It is always recommended to appoint an advisor – preferably a lawyer, who will be aware of the legal aspects of a will, so that the will that is drawn out is legally valid.

Prepare a list

Once a legal advisor has been appointed, a list or rather two lists need to be made:

Appoint an Executor

Although a lawyer will assist in actually drafting the will and getting it endorsed in a court of law, if required, the actual execution of the will is a totally different activity. The lawyer who drafts the will could be also appointed as the executor of the will. Conversely, a family member or close friend of the deceased could also be nominated as the executor of the will.

Informing the Beneficiary

Last but not the least, the pets’ home that has been named as a beneficiary in the will should be informed. This helps them to get an idea of what future assets they are likely to receive, which helps them to plan their budget.
These few tips should go a long way in giving a fair idea of how to go about leaving a legacy to a pets’ charity, which would benefit animals in need for years to come, even after a person passes away.