You can make a bequest to leave a legacy to MacKillop Family Services in your Will. Your Will is also the best way to ensure all your wishes are respected — without one, your loved ones will not automatically be looked after in the way you want and your estate may be managed by someone appointed by a court. Sounds scary, but that’s the law.
The language used in making Wills can seem as if it belongs to another world. For this reason, and to ensure your Will is legal, it’s important to talk with a legal advisor. If you’re curious about the difference between “bequest” and “legacy” and other legal terms often found in Wills, then see our glossary. It will also explain different types of legacies, such as contingent, pecuniary, residuary and specific.
Your Will doesn’t have to be long or complicated and you don’t need to own a big house or have heaps of precious heirlooms. Everyone should have a Will so their hard-earned treasures go where they wish. It also removes an extra burden for loved ones if your Will is clear and up to date.
There are several ways to include MacKillop Family Services in your Will.
Where it goes:
You can:
- leave a general-purpose bequest; or
- leave a specific bequest (for a specific project or centre or service that you may feel attached to or particularly strongly about).
Regarding specific bequests, please bear in mind that our projects, centres, programs and services may not be exactly as they are now by the time a Will comes into effect. So if there are binding conditions attached to a bequest that we cannot satisfy, MacKillop Family Services may not be able to benefit from the legacy. To ensure your kind gift can be used to best effect, it is best to state a preference of use for your bequest in your Will, rather than a condition.
Specifying amounts:
You can:
- include a specific dollar amount; or
- nominate a percentage of your estate.
The most important things are: to make sure you provide for your family first; to talk with your family about your desires and bequest plans; and to use specific wording in your Will (see our Will wording page or talk to your legal advisor.)
You can also request more information from MacKillop. The booklet “A planned gift today. A gift of hope tomorrow”, goes into more depth about bequests and legacies, and answers your important questions. Please either click here to request a copy or call us on (03) 9699 9177.